PHiliPl'OLLMER  PH.D.,D.D.     1 


i>**  *^    f  t^j 


Section   M^TA- 


RADIAL  KLY  MAP 

OF 

PALESTINE 

IN  THt  TIME  OF  OUR  SAVIOUR 
COPVRIQHTED,  1808.  BY 

OtO.  MAY    POWELU  "^ 


.  Hn^Hnh  Milan 


,  Romom  Ulles 


APR   2  1912 


THE  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

A  Textbook 


Higher  Institutions  of  Learning  and 
Advanced  Bible  Classes  in  Sunday 
Schools   and   other  Organizations 


REV.   PHILIP  VOLLMER,   Ph.D.,  D.D. 

Professor  of  the  Nenu  Testament  in  the 

Central  Theological  Seminaryy 

Dayton^  Ohio 


Philadelphia 

THE  HEIDELBERG  PRESS 

1912 


FOREWORD. 

Object,  method  and  spirit  of  this  book  may  be  stated  in 
a  single  sentence.  It  is  (i)  a  textbook,  (2)  of  the  Life  of 
Christ,  (3)  for  advanced  students,  (4)  following  modern 
methods,  but  (5)  strictly  evangelical  in  spirit  and  view 
point,  (6)  based  on  the  exact  words  of  the  gospels,  and  (7) 
having  for  its  chief  object  the  nurture  of  Christian  char- 
acter. 

Being  (i)  a  text  book  for  study  and  not  a  book  for  easy 
reading,  it  aims  at  conciseness,  sometimes  at  the  expense 
of  elegance  of  diction,  because  verboseness  is  the  foe  of 
accuracy  and  of  the  student's  time ;  it  follows  the  analytical 
method,  separating  introductory  matter,  narrative,  explana- 
tions and  practical  lessons,  for  this  promotes  clearness  of 
teaching  and  thoroughness  of  study ;  the  type  also  has  been 
selected  with  a  view  to  making  the  text  as  plain  as  possible, 
(2)  The  Life  of  Christ  being  of  fundamental  importance 
and  therefore  the  chief  target  of  attack,  no  student's  educa- 
tion should  be  considered  complete  without  a  thorough 
course  in  it,  and  no  congregation  should  allow  a  year  to  pass 
without  having  one  or  more  groups  of  members  studying 
this  great  subject,  especially  in  those  years  when  the  Sun- 
day School  lessons  are  not  selected  from  the  gospels.  (See 
"Directions  for   Study.") 

This  book  is  intended  (3)  for  advanced  Bible  study  in 
the  higher  institutions  of  learning,  where  our  future  minis- 
ters, physicians,  lawyers,  statesmen,  leaders  of  thought, 
teachers  and  prominent  women  are  being  trained.  Here 
this  great  subject  should  be  a  required  course,  and  not  sim- 
ply offered  as  an  elective  or  treated  merely  as  a  "devotional" 
study  for  which  little  preparation  is  expected.  The  book 
is  also  adapted  to  that  happily  increasing  class  of  old  and 
young  people  in  our  churches  who,  though  they  may  not 
have  enjoyed  a  higher  education,  have,  in  various  ways,  ac- 

iii 


iv  Foreword. 

quired  a  taste  for  more  thorough,  comprehensive  and 
tematic  Bible  study.     Having  these  classes  of   Bible 
dents   in   mind,    the   book    follows    (4)    modern   scieti' 
methods.     It  is  comprehensive  in  scope  as  a  glance  over 
table  of  contents  will  show ;  it  follows  the  grammatical- 
torical  method  of  exegesis ;  in  its  apologetic  discussion,    it 
aims  to  be  fair,  and  special  features  of  it  are  copious  refer- 
ences to  the  literature  on  the  subject.       Beside  the  larger 
works  on  the  Life  of  Christ  and  the  great  number  of  ele- 
mentary guides,  a  textbook  of  this  character  seems  to  have  a 
place. 

In  point  of  view,  spirit  and  specific  teaching,  this  book 
is  (5)  uncompromisingly  evangelical.  The  discussions  of 
the  various  problems  are  conducted  in  such  a  way  as  not 
to  obscure  its  positive  teaching  that  Christ  is  the  Son  of 
God,  and  his  gospel  the  power  of  God  to  save  both  the  "n- 
dividual  and  society.  We  cannot  prevent  our  educated 
classes  from  imbibing  error,  for  current  literature  is  satur- 
ated with  it,  but  the  church  must  sow  into  men's  minds, 
more  thoroughly  than  hitherto,  the  good  seed  before  the 
enemy  sows  the  tares,  and  should  at  all  times  be  ready  to 
provide  the  antidote  to  the  poison.  For  various  reasons 
the  narrative  part  is  given  as  much  as  possible  (6)  in  the 
exact  words  of  the  gospels.  Mere  references  to  the  Bible 
lead  to  superficiality.  A  minimum  knowledge  of  the  facts 
must  be  required,  and  that  minimum  should  be  printed  in 
full,  as  in  textbooks  of  secular  history.  In  addition  to  this 
minimum  the  notes  insist  on  a  thorough  inductive  study  of 
the  entire  text  of  the  gospels. 

The  ultimate  object  of  this  book  is  not  merely  to  acquire 
accurate  knowledge  of  the  Life  of  Christ,  though  this  in 
itself  is  in  the  deepest  sense  of  the  word  devotional,  but 
(7)  to  produce  and  develop  Christian  character.  There- 
fore, every  opportunity  is  seized  upon  to  apply  the  truth  to 
the  heart  and  conscience  of  the  student. 

The  author  owes  much  to  the  researches  of  others,  espec- 
ially of  German  and  French  scholars.  The  chapters  will 
show  the  amount  of  his  indebtedness. 

PHILIP  VOLLMER. 

Central  Theological  Seminary,  Dayton,  O. 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  STUDY 

I.     For  Whom  This  Book  is  Intended. 


-gV8 

aU  • 

-i.  For  Colleges,  Seminaries,  Academies,  Preparatory  Schools, 
aijd  similar  higher  institutions  of  learning.  The  teacher  in  these 
schools  will  have  no  difficulty  in  making  selections  from  the  material 
according  to  the  time  at  his  disposal  and  the  capacity  of  the  students. 

2.  For  advanced  Bible  classes  in  the  Sunday  School.  When  it 
is  planned  to  study  the  entire  subject  in  one  year,  the  work 
should  start  with  chapter  lo  and  end  with  chapter  49,  referring 
to"  the  introductory  matter  and  the  "General  Aspects"  (ch.  50- 
54)  as  these  points  come  up.  If  more  time  is  available,  the 
c  3SS  may  start  with  chapter  i  and  study  the  entire  book  in 
3^  thorough   manner. 

3.  For  entire  Sunday  Schools.  In  this  case  the  lower  classes 
should  be  assigned  selected  narratives  while  the  higher  classes 
may  choose  material  from  the  notes  according  to  the  grade  of 
each. 

4.  For  S.  S.  teachers  in  preparing  for  class  work. 

5.  For  the  variotis  young  people's  societies,  brotherhoods,  Y. 
M.  C.  A.'s,  normal  classes,  W.  C.  A's  and  similar  organizations. 
These  may  study  the  entire  subject  in  one  year;  yet  it  pays  not 
to  hurry  but  to  devote  to  each  of  the  three  "Parts"  of  the  book 
enough  time  for  thorough  preparation,  discussion,  side  reading 
and  papers. 

6.  For  catechetical  and  pastor's  classes  on  weekdays,  in  con- 
nection with,  or  in  place  of  the  denominational  catechism. 

7.  For  religious  vacation  and  week-day  parochial  schools. 

8.  For  iveekday  prayer  meetings  in  place  of  the  address,  or 
after  the  meeting.  All  that  may  be  present  are  treated  as  a 
class. 

9.  For  home  study,  in  connection  with  the  S.  S.  Home  Depart- 
ment; also  for  inquirers  or  skeptics. 

10.  As  a  "des\  copy"  for  ministers  and  Christian  workers,  for 
quick  reference  or  for  suggestions  for  addresses. 

I.     For  Correspondence  Courses. 

V 


vi  Directions  for  Study. 

II.     How  the  Book  Should  be  Used. 

(a)  By  the  Students. 

1.  Master  the  facts  of  the  narrative;  for  the  first  duty  of  an 
historian  is  to  know  his  sources. 

2.  To  this  end  make  extensive  use  of  the  Bible  or  a  good 
Harmony  of  the  Gospels.  Read  the  whole  Scripture  sections 
from  which  the  narrative  is  drawn;  name  and  compare  sources; 
look  up  and  read  all  other  Bible  references  in  the  book.  Mem- 
orize the  suggested  Bible  texts.  Remember  that  Bible  study  is 
study  of  the  Bible,  with  emphasis  on  both  words. 

3.  Draw  at  least  three  different  maps  at  different  periods,  one  of 
Palestine,  a  plan  of  the  Temple,  and  a  map  of  Jerusalem  and  sur- 
roundings. 

4.  Trace  on  the  map  the  events  of  the  Life  of  Christ  in  their 
chronological  sequence  and  in  their  organic  connection.  This  is 
fundamental  in  any  historical  study. 

5.  Begin  each  lesson  with  a  brief  review  of  the  previous  lesson, 
and  at  the  end  of  larger  periods  take  a  general  review.  "Not 
what  I  can  remember  but  what  I  can  never  forget  constitutes 
knowledge.  Therefore  drill!  drill!!  drill!!!  Review!  review!! 
review!!!"  (Moninger).  Prepare,  mentally  or  in  writing,  your 
answers  to  the  review  questions. 

(b)  By  the  Teacher. 

1.  Discourage  indifferent  work.  The  consciousness  of  mas- 
tering the  work  is  inspiring,  and  holds  the  class  together.  Do 
not  assign  work  beyond  the  capacity  of  the  class  but  then  insist 
on  thoroughness. 

2.  Encourage  questions;  if  possible,  occasionally  conduct  a 
round  table  discussion,  but  do  not  allow  the  class  to  "discuss"  the 
subject  before  they  have  prepared  the  assigned  material,  for 
this  leads  to  superficiality  and  self-sufficiency. 

3.  If  time  and  other  things  are  favorable  brief  papers  and 
talks  may  be  brought  into  the  class. 


CONTENTS 

Foreword    iii 

Directions  for  Study v 

PART  I. 
Introduction  to  the  Life  of  Christ. 

The  World  in  which  Jesus  Lived. 

Chapter  i. 

The  Physical  World  in  which  Jesus  Lived   i 

The  Importance  of  the  Historical  Background. 
General  Aspects  of  Palestine ;  Names ;  Antiquity ;  Loca- 
tion, Extent,  Roads,  Fertility,  Climate. 
Physical  Divisions,  Mountains  and  Waters. 
Political  Divisions  and  Chief  Places. 

Chapter  2. 

The  Political  World  in    Which  Jesus  Lived  8 

Jewish  History:  Babylonian,  Persian,  Greek,  Egyptian, 
Syrian,  M^ccabean,  Roman  rule. 

Rule  of  Herod  the  Great  and  his  Family,  later  History 
of  the  Jews. 

Government,  Sanhedrin,  Taxation,  Divisions,  Names  and 
Languages. 

History  of  the  Roman  Empire. 

Chapter  3. 

The  Intellectual  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived 19 

Jewish   Culture   and   Literature :     Apocrypha,   Apocalyp- 
tic books,  Philo  and  Josephus. 
Greek  Philosophy  and  Roman  Culture. 

Chapter  4. 

The  Religious  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived 24 

Religious  Condition  among  the  Jews :  Messianic  Hope, 
Pharisees,  Sadducees,  Essenes,  Scribes,  Lawyers,  Zealots, 
Proselytes,  Great  Synagog,  Mission  of  the  Jews. 

vii 


viii  Contents. 

Sacred  Buildings:     Temple  at  Jerusalem,  the  Synagogs, 
Temple  at  Heliopolis,  Sacred  Year. 
Samaritan,  Greek  and  Roman  Religions. 

Chapter  5. 

The  Moral  and  Social  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived 34 

Corruption    in   the   Greek-Roman   World.      Paul's   Testi- 
mony, Pompeii's  Excavations,  Emperors,  Enormous  Wealth, 
Slaves,  Labor  Degraded,  Luxury. 
Family  Life :    Woman,  Divorce,  Children. 
Fivefold  Preparation  for  Christ's  Coming. 

Chapter  6. 

Sources  of  Our  Knowledge  of  Christ  36 

Pagan,  Jewish  and  Christian  Sources. 
The  Three  Synoptic  Gospels.    Authorship,  Aim  and  Char- 
acter of  each.    Outline  of  the  Synoptic  Problem. 
John's  Gospel.     Authorship  and  Credibility. 

Chapter  7. 

The  Chronology  of  the  Life  of  Christ  43 

General  Divisions. 

Date  of  Christ's   Birth,   Opening  and  Length  of   Public 
Ministry,  Date  of  Death. 
Relative  Chronology. 

Chapter  8. 

Selected  Bibliography  of  the  Life  of  Christ  50 

Books  on  the  "historical  background."  Best  Dictionaries 
of  the  Bible.  Principal  Lives  of  Christ.  Books  on  Paint- 
ings and  Views. 

Chapter  9. 

General  Review   52 

PART  II. 

The  Events  of  the  Life  of  Christ.* 

Division   I. 

The  Thirty  Years  of  Preparation. 

From  the  Birth  of  Jesus  to  His  Baptism,  Dec.  25,  B.  C.  5— Jan., 
A.  D.  27. 


♦To  avoid  unnecessary  repetition  tiiis  table  of  contents  has  been  so  arranged  as 
to  serve  at  the  same  time  as  a  "  Chronological  Chart "  of  the  Life  of  Christ. 


Contents.  ix 

Chapter  io. 

The  Introduction    54 

John's  Prolog — Luke's  Preface — the  Genealogies. 

Chapter  ii. 

The  Annunciations  or  John  and  Christ  57 

Date. 

To    Zacharias    Oct.  3,        B.  C.   6 

To  the  Virgin  Mary  Mar.  25,      B.  C.    5 

To  Joseph    Apr.  " 

Mary's  Visit  to  Elizabeth  Apr.-June        " 

Chapter  12. 

BiKTH  OF  Joh  n  and  Jesus  6i 

The  Birth  of  John   June  25,      B.  C.    5 

The  Birth  of  Jesus   Dec.  25,  " 

Chapter  13. 

The  Infancy  of  Jesus   66 

The   Circumcision   of  Jesus    Jan.  i,  B.  C.    4 

The  Presentation  in  the  Temple  Feb.  2,  " 

The  Visit  of  the  Wise  Men Feb. 

Flight  to  Egypt,  Slaughter  of  Chil- 

<iren    Feb.  " 

Return  to  Nazareth    May  " 

Chapter  14. 

Early  Life  in  Nazareth   71 

Childhood  and  Development. 

First  Visit  to  the  Passover  Apr.  8,        A.  D.   8 

Eighteen  Years  of  Silence   . . .  Apr.8,  A.  D,  8 — Jan.,  A.  D.  27 

Division  II. 

The  Year  of  Obscurity. 

From  Christ's  Baptism  to  the  Beginning  of  the  (ralilean  Ministry. 
Jan.,  A.  D.  27-Dec.  A.  D.  27. 

First  Subdivision. 

The  Opening  Events  of  Christ's  Ministry. 

Christ's  Baptism  to  the  Passover,  Jan.,  A.  D.  27- April  11,  A.  D.  27. 


X  Contents. 

Chapter  15. 

John's  Ministry — Christ's  Baptism  and  Temptation  77 

John's  Ministry  Summer,     A.  D.  26 

The  Baptism  of  Jesus  Jan.,  A.  D.  27 

The  Temptation  of  Jesus Jan. -Feb., 

Chapter  16. 

First  Disciples  and  First  Miracle  84 

John's  Testimony  before  the  Deputa- 
tion   Feb.,  A.  D.  27 

The  First  Three  or  Four  Disciples  . .  .Feb., 

First  Miracle  at  Cana March,  " 

Brief   Sojourn   at   Capernaum    March,  " 

Second  Subdivision. 

The  Eeurly  Judean  Ministry. 

From  Passover  to  the  Opening  of  the  Oalilean  Ministry.     April 
ii-Dec,  A.  D.  27. 

Chapter    17. 

First  Ministry  in  Jerusalem  and  Judea  89 

First  Cleansing  of  the  Temple  Apr.  11-17,  A.  D.  27 

Work  in  Jerusalem  during  the  Feast.  .Apr.  11-17,        " 
Discourse  with   Nicodemus  in  Jeru- 
salem     Apr.  11-17,        " 

Jesus  baptizes  eight  months  in  Judea  Apr.-Dec,         " 
John's  Last  Testimony  at  Aenon  ....Apr.-Dec,         " 

Chapter  18. 

Christ's  Ministry  in  Samaria   94 

Reasons  for  Departing  from  Judea   Dec,  A.  D.  27 

Jesus  and  the  Samaritan  Woman  Dec, 

Jesus'  Two  Days  with  the  Samaritans  Dec, 

Arrival  in  Galilee,  and   Dismissal  of  Dis- 
ciples     Dec, 

Division    III. 

The  Year  of  Popularity. 

From  the  Opening  of  the  Galilean  Ministry  to  the  Crisis  at  Ca- 
pernaum.    Dec,  A.   D.  27-April,  A.  D.  29 — about  16  months. 


Contents.  xi 

First  Subdivision. 

First  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry. 

From  the  Opening  of  the  Galilean  Ministry  to  the  Choosing  of  the 
Twelve.     Dec,  A.  D.  27-early  summer  A.  D.  28 — about  6  months. 

Chapter  19. 

Opening  of  the  Gaulean  Ministry  99 

Imprisonment  of  the  Baptist    Jan.,  A.  D.  28 

Beginning  of  Christ's  Gahlean  Ministry. ..  .Jan.,       " 

Healing  of  the  Nobleman's  Son    Jan.,       " 

First  Rejection  at  Nazareth  Jan., 

Chapter  20. 

Removal  to  Capernaum  and  First  Preaching  Tour 104 

Removal  and  Recall  of  four  Disciples  Jan.,  A.  D.  28 

Teaching  and  Casting  out  Demons  at 

Capernaum     Jan., 

First  Preaching  Tour  in  Galilee    ....  Feb.-Mar.,       " 

Chapter  21. 

Growing  Hostility  of  the  Pharisees  at  Capernaum   108 

Healing    of    the    Paralytic     March,        A.  D.  28 

Call  of  Matthew  and  Feast March, 

Jesus  on  Fasting    March,  " 

Chapter  22. 

The  Sabbath  Question  at  Jerusalem  and  Capernaum  112 

Healing  of  the  Man  at  Jerusalem  Mar.  30-Apr.  5,  A.  D.  28 

(his  2d  Passover) 
Charge  of   Sabbath   Breaking    . .  Mar.  30-Apr.  5,         " 

Plucking  Grain  on  the  Sabbath  near 
Capernaum   May,  " 

Healing  of  the  Man  at  Jerusalem, 

Sabbath  at  Capernaum    May,  " 

Second  Subdivision. 

The  Second  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry. 

From  the  Choosing  of  the  Twelve  to  the  Crisis  at  Capernaum. 
Early  Summer,  A.  D.  28-April  18,  A.  D.  29 — about  10  months. 


xii  Contents. 

Chai'ter  23. 

Okjanization  01'  Christ's  Kingdom  116 

Vhe  Widespread  Fame  of  Christ  ....  Summer,    A.  D.  28 
'I'he  Clioosing  of  Twelve  Apostles  . . .  Summer, 
Tlie  Scrmou  on  tlie  Mount   Summer, 

Chapter  24. 

Christ's   Second  Preaching  Tour    124 

Healing  of  the  Centurion's   Servant 

at  Capernaum    Summer,     A.  D.  28 

Raising  of  the  Widow's  Son  at  Nain.  .Summer, 

The  Baptist's  Last  Message  Summer,  " 

First  Anointing  in  the  House  of  the 

Pharisee    Autumn,  " 

Women  on  the  Second  Preaching  Tour  Autumn, 

Chapter  25. 

Christ  Teaching  at  Capernaum  and  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee  .   131 

Anxiety  of  Christ's  Friends Autumn,     A.  D.  28 

Warning  against   Blasphemy,    Autumn, 

The   Eight   Parables   by  the   Sea  of 
Galilee   Autumn,  " 

Chapter  26. 

Miracles  on  and  near  the  Sea  of  Galilee  138 

Stilling  of  the  Tempest   Autumn,     A.  D.  28 

Healing  of  the  Gadarene  Demoniacs.  .Autumn, 

I  Jairus'  Daughter  and  the  Sick  Woman  Autumn,  " 

Two  Blind  and  one  Demoniac  Healed.  .Autumn,  " 

Chapter  27. 

Christ's  Third  Preaching  Tour  142 

Second  Rejection  at  Nazareth Jan.,  A.  D.  29 

The  Preaching  Tour  Continued   Feb.,  " 

The  Mission  of  the  Twelve Feb.,  " 

The  Death  of  the  Baptist March, 

Return  to  Capernaum,   March,  " 

Chapter  28. 

The  Great  Crisis  at  Capernaum  147 

Seeking  Rest  near  Bethsaida  April,  A.  D.  29 

{Near  his  3(1  passorer.) 

The  Feeding  of  the  5,000  at  Bethsaida  April,  " 


Contents.  xiii 

Jesus  Walking  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  .April,  A.  D.  29 

Landing  at  Genesaret   April,  " 

Discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life April,  " 

Eating  with  Unwashed  Hands    April,  " 

Division  IV. 

The  Year  of  Opposition. 

From  the  Crisis  at  Capernaum  to  the  Triumphal  Entry  into  Jeru- 
salem. Passover,  April  18,  A.  D.  29-Palm  Sunday,  April  2,  A.  D. 
30,  about  one  year. 

First   Subdivision. 

The  Third  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry. 

From  the  Crisis  at  Capernaum  until  the  Final  Departure  for  Jeru- 
salem.   April  i8th,  A.  D.-Nov.,  A.  D.  29,  about  seven  months. 

Chapter  29. 

First  Northern  Journey  to  Tyre  and  Sidon 155 

Healing  of  Daughter  of  Syrophoeni- 

cian  Woman Summer,     A.  D.  29 

Healing  of  the  Deaf-Mute  at  Decap- 

olis   Summer,  " 

Feeding  of  the  4,000  at  Decapolis  ....  Summer  " 

Pharisees  and  Sadducees  Demand  a 

Sign  Summer,  " 

Healing  of  the  Blind  Man  at  Beth- 

saida Summer,  " 

Chapter  30. 

Second  Northern  Journey  to  C^sarea  Philippi  160 

Peter's  Confession  at  Caes.  Phil Autumn,    A.  D.  29 

First  Announcement  of  His  Death  . .  .Autumn,  " 

The  Transfiguration  on  Mt.  Hermon.  .Autumn,  " 

Chapter  31. 

Journey  from  the  Transfiguration  to  Capernaum  166 

Healing  of  the  Demoniac  at  Mt.  Her- 
mon   Autumn,    A.  D.  29 

Second  Announcement  of  His  Death.  .Autumn,  " 

Shekel  in  the  Fish's  Mouth  at  Ca- 
pernaum   Autumn,  " 

On  Humility,  Discipline  and  Forgive- 
ness   Autumn,  " 


xiv  Contents. 

Chapter  32. 

Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  in  jEKusALEiM  171 

Secret  Journey  to  Jerusalem   Oct.,  A.  D.  29 

Controversy  on  the  Sabbath  Question  Oct.  ir-i8,       " 

Woman  taken  in  Adultery Oct.,  " 

Discourse  on  the  Light  of  the  World 
and   Freedom    Oct.,  " 

Second  Subdivision, 

The  Perean  Ministry. 

From  the  final  Departure  for  Jerusalem  until  the  Triumphal  En- 
try into  Jerusalem.  Nov.  A.  D.  29,  to  Palm  Sunday,  April  2,  A.  D. 
30;  about  5  months. 

Chapter  33. 

The  Opening  of  the  Perean  Ministry 177 

Final  Departure  from  Galilee,  Nov.  A.  D.  28 

Meeting  with  Three  Men,    Nov.  " 

The  Mission  of  the  Seventy,   Nov.-Dec,         " 

The   ( lood    Samaritan,    Nov.-Dec,         " 

Chapter  34. 

Christ  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication  182 

Jesus  Visits  Mary  and  Martha  at 
Bethany,    Dec.  A.  D.  29 

Healing  of   the    Man   born   blind   at 

Jerusalem,     Dec,  " 

Discourse   on  the   Good    Shepherd,    . .  Dec,  " 

Controversy  at  the  Feast  of  Ded- 
ication,      Dec  20-27,         " 

Chapter  35- 

Teaching  on  Trust  in  God  and  the  Judgment  186 

Return   to   Perea  and   Discourse   on 

Prayer,  Jan.,  A.  D.  30 

Woe  against  the  Pharisees,    Jan..  " 

Discourse    on    Trust    in    God — Rich 

Fool Jan., 

Galileans  slain  by   Pilate,    Jan.,  " 

Woman  healed  on  the  Sabbath,   Jan.,  " 

Whether    Few    are    Saved,    Jan., 


Contents.  xv 

Chapter  36. 

From  the  Warning  Against  Herod  to  the   Raising  of  Laz- 
arus     191 

Warning    against    Herod,    Feb.,  A.  D.  30 

Healing  of  the  man  with  the  dropsy,.  .Feb., 

Discourse  at  Chief  Pharisees'  Table,  Feb.,  " 

Counting    the    Cost,    Feb., 

Three   Parables  of   Grace   and   Two 
of    Warning,    Feb.,  " 

On    Forgiveness    and    Faith,    Feb.,  " 

Chapter  37. 

Raising  of  Lazarus    and  Flight  to  Ephraim  195 

Message,  Arrival,  Raising  of  Lazarus,  Feb.,  A.  D.  30 

Effect  of  the  Miracle,    Feb., 

Flight    to    Ephraim,    Feb.,  " 

Chapter  38. 

Journey  from  Ephraim  to  Jericho  199 

Healing  of  the  Ten  Lepers,    March,  A.  D.  30 

Question   as   to   the   Coming   of   the 

Kingdom,     March,  " 

Two   Kinds    of    Prayers, March,  " 

Discourse  on  Divorce,    March,  " 

Christ    Blessiaig    Children,    March,  " 

The    Rich    Young    Ruler,     March,  " 

Third  Announcement  of  His  Death,  March,  " 

Chapter  39. 

Jesus  at  Jericho  and  Bethany  205 

Ambition  of  John  and  James,    March,        A.  D.  30 

Healing  of  the  Blind  Mian  at  Jericho,  March, 

Visit  to  Zacchseus  at  Jericho,    March,  " 

Parable  of  the  Minse,    March,  " 

Excitement   at   Jerusalem,    March,  " 

Second  Anointing  of  Jesus,    Fri.,  March  31    " 

The  Life  of  Lazarus  in  Danger. 

Division  V. 

The  Week  of  Passion. 

From  the  Triumphal  Entry  into  Jerusalem  to  the  Resurrection, 
Palm  Sunday,  April  2nd — Easter  Sunday,  April  9,  A.  D.  30. 


xvi  Contents. 

Chapter  40. 

The  Days  of  Triumph  and  Authority  211 

Triumphal    Entry    into    Jeru- 
salem  Palm  Sun.,  Apr.  2,  A.  D.  30 

Attitude  of   the   Pharisees,    Mon.,  Apr.  3,        " 

Cursing  of  the  Fig  Tree,   Mon.,  Apr.  3,        " 

Second  Cleansing  of  the  Temple,  . . .  Men.,  Apr.  3,        " 

Chapter  41. 

I/AST  Controversy  with  the  Rulers  215 

The  Fig  Tree  Withered,  Tue.,  Apr.  4,  A.  D.  30         % 

Christ's    Authority    Challenged,    . . . .  Tue.,  Apr.  4,         " 

Three  Parables  of   Warning,    Tue.,  Apr.  4,         " 

Three  Catch  Questions Tue.,  Apr.  4,         " 

Christ's   Unanswerable    Question,    ..  Tue.,  Apr.  4,         " 
Woe  Against  the  Rulers,   Tue.,  Apr.  4,         " 

Chapter  42. 

Last  Experiences  in  the  Temple  and  Discourse  on  the  Last 

Things    222 

The  Widow's  Two   Mites,   at   Court 

of    Women,     Tue.,  Apr.  4,  A.  D.  30 

*  Greeks    Seeking    Jesus,     Tue.,  Apr.  4,         " 

The  Rejection  of  the  Jews  Predicted,  Tue.,  Apr.  4,         " 
^  Discourse    on    the    Last    Things    on 

Mt.    Olivet Tue.,  Apr.  4, 

The  Betrayal  of  Judas Tue.,  Apr.  4,         " 

A  Quiet  Day  of   Preparation, Wed.,  Apr.  5,        " 

Chapter  43. 

Last  Supper  and  Farewell  Addresses  231 

^  Paschal   Supper,   Feet   Washing, 

Lord's   Supper,    Th.  Eve.,  Apr.  6,  A.  D.  30 

Farewell    Conversations,     Th.  Eve.,  Apr.  6,        " 

Chapter  44 

Agony  and  Arrest  at  Gethsemane 240 

Agony  and 
Prayer,     . . .  About  Midnight,  Good  Fri.,  Apr.  7,  A.  D.  30 

Betrayal About  i   A.   M.,  "  "  " 

Arrest  and  March 

to  Jerusalem,  About  2  A.   M.,  "  "  " 


Contents.  xvii 

Chapter  45. 

Three  Trials  Before  the  Jewish  Rulers  244 

Examination  by  Annas  in  the  Palace,  About  3  A.  M. 

First    Denial    of    Peter About  3  A.  M. 

Night  Trial  Before  the  Sanhedrin,..  About  4  A.  M. 

Second  and  Third   Denials  of   Peter,  About  4  A.  M. 

Morning  Trial,    About  5  A.  M. 

Remorse  and  Suicide  of  Judas,  About  5  A.  M. 

Chapter  46. 

Trials  Before  Pilate  and  Herod  '. 250 

First  Trial  Before  Pilate— "Art  Thou 

a    King  ?"     6  A.  M. 

Trial  Before  Herod,   8  A.  M. 

Final   Trial    Before    Pilate — Barabbas,  9-12  A.  M. 
Scourging,  "Behold  the  Man,"   Death 

Sentence 12  A.  M. 

Chapter  47. 

Crucifixion  and  Burial  258 

March   to  Calvary,   Crucifixion,   Seven 

Words,     12  M.-3  P.  M. 

Death,   Earthquake,   Veil   in  Temple,..  3  P.  M. 

Burial,     Before  Sunset 

Watch  Placed  at  the  Sepulchre, Sat.,  Apr.  8 

Division  VI. 

The  Forty  Days  of  Resurrection  Life. 

From  the  Resurrection  to  the  Ascension.     From  Easter  Sunday 
to  Ascension  Sunday,  April  9th,  to  Thursday,  May  18,  Forty  Days. 

Chapter  48. 

The  Resurrection  and  Five  Appearances  268 

Earthquake  and  Arrival   of   the 

Women,    Very   Early,  Sun.,  Apr.  9,  A.  D.  30 

Report  of  the  Watch,    Early,  Sun.,  Apr.  9,        " 

Appearance  to  Mary  Magdalene  and 

the    Women,    Forenoon,  " 

Appearance  to  Peter  and  the  Two  at 

Emmaus,     Afternoon,  " 

Appearance  to  the  Ten  Apostles,  . .  .Evening,  " 


xviii  Contents. 

Chapter  49. 

The  Five  Last  Appearances  275 

Appearance  to  the  Eleven,   Sun.,  Apr.  16,  A.  D.  30 

Appearance    to    Seven    Apostles    at 

the    Sea   of   Galilee,    After  Apr.  16 

To  the  Eleven  and  500  Brethren,..  May  " 

Appearance   to   His   Brother  James,  May  " 

Appearance  at  Jerusalem, Thur.,  May  16,      " 

Ascension,     Thur.,  May  18,      " 

Conclusion  of  John's  Gospel. 

PART  III. 
General  Aspects  of  the  Life  of  Christ. 

Chapter  50. 

The  Character  of  Christ  283 

1.  Physical  Characteristics. — Inferences  from  Bible  Pas- 
sages ;  ancient  descriptions  of  Christ's  appearance ;  legend- 
ary and  real  portraits ;  modern  conception  of  Jesus'  picture. 

2.  Christ's  Intellectual  Pozvers. — Four  mental  character- 
istics ;   penetration,  keenness,  breadth,   originality. 

3.  Emotional  Life  of  Jesus. —  (i)  Love  to  God  expressed 
in  his  trust,  communion,  reverence,  submission;  (2)  love 
to  man,  manifested  in  his  appreciation  of  man,  his  sym- 
pathy, generosity,  accessibility,  simplicity,  self-surrender, 
friendship,  humility,  obedience,  candor,  graciousness ;  (3) 
His  love  for  nature,  and  his  humor;  (4)  effect  of  these 
feelings :  he  was  happy,  optimistic,  enthusiastic, 

4.  Christ's  Will  Power. — (i)  Outgoing  manifestations: 
self-assertion,  energy,  self-limitation,  indignation;  (2)  the 
inholding  powers:  patience  and  caution. 

5.  The  Harmony  of  Christ's  Character. —  (i)  He  partici- 
pated in  each  of  the  four  temperaments,  he  was  (2)  sin- 
less, (3)  a  strong,  and  (4)  a  great  man. 

Chapter  51. 

The  Work  of  Christ  301 

1.  Did  Christ  have  a  conscious  Plan  of  work,  and  what 
was  it? 

2.  The  Execution  of  his  Plan. 

(i)   Christ  as  a  Preacher:  substance,  method,  aim. 

(2)  Christ  as  a  Teacher  of  the  Twelve. 

(3)  Christ  as  a  Controversalist. 


Contents.  xix 

(4)  The  Example  of  Christ. 

(5)  The  Miracles  of  Christ :  Definition,  Names,  Num- 
ber, Classification,  Distribution,  Purpose,  Tests. — The 
Possibility,   Credibility  and  Reality  of  Christ's  Miracles. 

(6)  Casting  out  Demons.  Reasons  for  and  against  the 
Bible  view. 

(7)  The   Kingship   and   Death   of  Jesus. 

Chapter  52. 

Three  Chief  Problems  in  the  Life  of  Christ  316 

1.  The  Incarnation:  (i)  Meaning;  (2)  Mode;  (3)  Pur- 
pose and  Object. 

2.  The  Self-Consciousness  of  Jesus:  (i)  Messiah;  (2) 
Son  of  Man;  (3)  Son  of  God;  (4)  When  he  attained  at 
this  consciousness. 

3.  The  Resurrection  of  Christ:  (i)  New  Testament  Evi- 
dence;   (2)  Value;    (3)   Non-miraculous    Interpretations. 

Chapter  53. 

The  Influence  of  Christ  330 

1.  Great  Changes  in  the  World  through  the  Influence 
of  Christ. 

2.  Testimonies  to  Christ   from  a  few  of  the  Great  Men: 
(i)  Kings:  Alfred,  Napoleon  I.,  Wilhelm  I.  and  II.     (2) 

Statesmen:  Coligny,  Jefferson,  Franklin,  Webster,  Gladstone, 
Krueger,  Bismarck.  (3)  Philosophers:  Spinoza,  Locke, 
Voltaire,  Rousseau,  Kant,  Fichte,  Hegel,  Emerson,  Carlyle. 

(4)  Poets:   Shakespeare,  Goethe,  Dickens,  Tolstoi,  Byron, 
Wagner,  Tennyson. 

Chapter  54. 

NoN-BiBLicAL  Portraits  of  Jesus  338 

(i)  The  Rationalistic  Jesus.  (2)  The  Jesus  of  Liberal- 
ism.    (3)  The  Mythical  Jesus.     (4)  The  Diseased  Jesus. 

(5)  The  Antiquated  Jesus.  (6)  The  Buddhistic  Jesus.  (7) 
The  Socialistic  Jesus,     (8)  Jesus  a  Pure  Myth. 


THE  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

PART  I. 

Introduction  to  the  Life  of  Christ 

The  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  Physical  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived. 

1.  The  life  of  Christ  cannot  be  adequately  understood 
without  some  knowledge  of  his  surroundings.  Therefore 
we  shall  study  first  the  physical,  political,  intellectual,  reli- 
gious, moral  and  social  conditions  of  the  world  in  which 
Jesus  lived.  This  will  furnish  the  historical  background  and 
a  proper  setting  or  frame  for  our  portrait  of  Christ. 

2.  General  Aspects  of  Palestine.  The  physical  world 
in  which  Jesus  lived  was  Palestine,  (i)  Names:  (a) 
Canaan,  before  it  became  the  home  of  Israel.  (Gen.  i6:  3; 
17:8).  (b)  Israel,  from  the  Conquest  till  the  Babylonian 
Captivity  (2  Kings  5:2).  (c)  Judaea,  after  the  Babylon- 
ian Captivity  (Neh.  5:14;  Mark  1:5).  (d)  Palestine 
(from  Philistia),  since  the  days  of  Christ.  The  name  was 
first  used  to  designate  the  country  of  the  Philistines.  Jose- 
phus  applied  it  to  the  whole  land. —  (e)  Other  designations: 
"The  Land  of  Promise"  (Heb.  11:9),  "The  Holy  Land" 
(Zech,  2:  12).  (2)  Antiquity.  It  is  older  than  Greece  and 
Rome.  Abraham  dwelt  at  Sychar  2,000  years  before  Christ 
rested  at  its  well.  Joshua  conquered  it  200  years  before 
Troy  fell.  Solomon  was  dead  200  years  before  Romulus 
founded  Rome  in  754  B.  C.  Gideon  and  Achilles,  Elijah 
and  Homer  were  contemporaries.     (3)  Location:  In  West- 


2  Life  of  Christ. 

ern  Asia,  bounded  by  Syria,  Arabia,  Egypt  and  the  Medit- 
erranean Sea.  (4)  Extent:  In  shape  and  size  it  is  much 
Hke  the  state  of  New  Hampshire.  Inchiding  Perea  it  con- 
tains 12,000  square  miles;  without  it,  about  9,000.  Its  sea- 
coast  from  Tyre  to  Gaza  is  140  miles  long;  its  Jordan  line, 
from  Mt.  Hermon  to  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  is  156 
miles.  It  is  from  25  to  70  miles  wide.  (5)  Roads:  Four 
great  highways,  linking  Asia,  Europe  and  Africa,  cross  it. 
Up  and  down  these  coast  roads  the  great  armies  of  the  Old 
World  passed.  Sennacherib,  the  Assyrian,  Alexander  of 
Macedon,  Pompey,  Titus,  Saladin,  Napoleon,  all  led  their 
armies  over  this  highway.  (6)  Fertility:  It  was  a  land 
"flowing  with  milk  and  honey,"  and  was  cultivated  like  a 
garden  to  the  very  tops  of  the  mountains.  No  modern  land 
has  been  made  to  support  so  dense  a  population.  Wheat, 
barley,  the  vine  and  the  olive  grew  luxuriantly.  (7)  Cli- 
mate: Palestine  is  semi-tropical,  the  heat  being  tempered  by 
its  mountains.     Snow  is  rare  and  the  winters  are  short. 

3.  Physical  Divisions,  (i)  Along  the  Mediterranean 
lies  the  sea  coast  plain  two  or  three  miles  wide  at  the  north, 
but  widening  as  it  goes  southward,  to  nearly  20  miles  at 
Gaza.  (2)  Crossing  this  are  the  Shephelah  or  foot  hills;  a 
terrace  of  low  hills  from  300  to  500  feet  high.  (3)  Ascend- 
ing these,  we  reach  the  mountain  region,  a  range  of  moun- 
tains broken  by  ravines,  varying  from  2,500  to  3,000  feet 
in  height.  This  region  was  the  home  of  the  Israelites  in  all 
their  history.  The  plains  and  valleys  were  mainly  foreign 
and  heathen  in  their  population.  (4)  Crossing  the  mountain 
we  descend  to  the  Jordan  Valley,  lower  than  the  sea  level, 
and  from  5  to  20  miles  wide.  (5)  Beyond  the  valley  rises 
the  Eastern  Table-land  with  higher  mountains  but  more 
level  summits,  and  broken  by  fewer  valleys.  The  mountains 
gradually  decline  to  the  great  Syrian  desert  on  the  east. 

4.  Sacred  Mountains,  (i)  0»ara«fa;r/a.  the  traditional 
mount  of  temptation,  in  the  wilderness  between  Jerusalem 
and  the  Dead  Sea.  (2)  Mount  of  Beatitudes  (Horns  of 
Hattin"),    the    scene    of    the    Sermon    on   the    Mount,    just 


Life  of  Christ.  3 

west  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  (3)  Mount  Tabor,  the  tradi- 
tional Mount  of  Transfiguration.  (4)  Mount  Hermon, 
probably  the  real  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  30  miles  north 
of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  (5)  Mount  Calvary,  the  place  of  the 
crucifixion,  "without  the  gate,"  on  the  north  of  ancient 
Jerusalem,  but  now  within  the  modern  city.  The  gospels 
simply  call  it  "a  place,"  not  a  mount. 

5.  Sacred  Waters,  (i)  The  Jordan,  rising  in  Mt.  Her- 
mon, ^flowing  south  130  miles  through  Lake  Merom,  and 
the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  the  Dead  Sea,  narrow,  swift,  with  oc- 
casional fords.  (2)  The  Sea  of  Galilee,  13  miles  long  and 
8  wide,  encircled  by  a  dense  population.  The  only  navi- 
gable water  in  Palestine.  Other  names  in  Lu.  5 :  i — Sea  of 
Genesaret;  John  6:1 — Sea  of  Tiberias.  (3)  The  Brook 
Kedron,  flowing  between  the  Temple  and  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  now  dry  most  of  the  year.  (4)  The  Pools  of  Siloam 
and  Bethesda,  on  the  south  and  east  of  Jerusalem.  (5)  The 
Great  Sea,  or  Mediterranean,  bounding  Palestine  on  the 
west,  the  outpost  of  ancient  commerce  and  travel.  (6)  The 
Dead  Sea,  20  miles  southeast  of  Jerusalem,  46  miles  long, 
10  wide,  and  1,200  feet  below  the  Mediterranean. 

6.  Political  Divisions.  Five  Provinces :  ( i )  Galilee, 
on  the  north,  west  of  the  Jordan.  (From  the  Hebrew 
Galil  "circle"  or  district),  divided  into  Lower  and  Upper 
Galilee,  inhabited  by  a  brave,  simple-hearted  people,  mainly 
Jews,  but  with  many  gentiles  among  them.  Hence  called 
"Galilee  of  the  Gentiles."  (Isa.  9:1-2;  Matt.  4:15,  16), 
hence  also  the  contempt  in  which  it  was  held  at  Jerusalem. 
(John  7:41,  52).  (2)  Samaria.  In  the  center.  It  was 
not  a  province  with  a  political  organization,  but  only  a  dis- 
trict around  the  cities  of  Shechem  and  Samaria ;  extending 
neither  to  the  Jordan  nor  to  the  Mediterranean,  and  of  un- 
certain limits ;  governed  from  Judea,  and  inhabited  by  a 
composite  people,  partly  Israelites,  partly  heathen  in  their 
origin.  (3)  Judea,  the  southernmost  province.  As  the 
largest  and  special  home  of  the  Jewish  people  it  often  gave 
its  name  to  the  whole  land,  as  in  Mark  i :  5,  Lu.  7:  17,  Acts 


4  Life  of  Christ. 

lo:  37.     The  southern  part  of  it  was  Idumea,  a  narrow  belt 
of  rugged  highlands,  100  miles  long  by  20  wide,  stretching 
from  the  southeast  of  the  Dead  Sea,  to  the  eastern  arm  of 
the  Red  Sea ;  the  land  of  the  Edomites,  descendants  of  Esau. 
(4)  Perea,  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea,  the 
word  means  "beyond."     In  the  N.  Testament  the  region 
is  called,  "the  borders  of  Judrea,  beyond  the  Jordan"  (Matt. 
19:  I  ;  Mark  10:  i).     (5)  Philips  Tetrarchy,  in  the  north- 
east embracing  five  sections ;  Gaulanitis,  Auranites,  Trach- 
onites,  Iturea,  Batanea.     Scattered  throughout  this  province 
was  Decapolis  (Mark  7:31)  a  league  of  ten  Greek  cities 
which  was  probably  formed  at  the  time  of  Pompey's  inva- 
sion of  Palestine   (64-63  B.  C).     The  cities  were  perhaps 
first  settled  by  Greek  soldiers  from  the  armies  of  Alexander 
the  Great.     By  these  cities  Pompey  was  hailed  as  a  deliverer 
from  the  Jewish  yoke.     According  to   Pliny,  their  names 
were    Scythopolis,    Hippos,    Gadara,    Pella,    Philadelphia, 
Gerasa,    Dion,    Canatha,    Damascus,    and    Raphana.     The 
formation  of  a  confederation  of  Greek  cities  in  the  midst  of 
a   Semitic  population   was   necessary   for  the  preservation 
of  Hellenic  civilization  and  culture.     In  the  Roman  period 
all  the  cities  of  Decapolis  had  the  right  of  coinage  and  asy- 
lum, and  were  allowed  to  maintain  a  league  for  defense 
against  their  common  foes.     The  ruins  of  temples,  theatres 
and  baths  at  Gerasa,  Philadelphia  and  Gadara  impress  one 
with  the  glories  of  the  Grecian  life  in  Palestine  during  the 
period  of  our  Lord's  earthly  ministry  and  for  some  centuries 
afterward. 

7.  Places  in  Galilee  and  Samaria  Mentioned  in  the 
Gospels.  ( I )  Bethsaida.  The  evidence  seems  to  point  to 
two  places  by  this  name,  one  east  and  the  other  west  of  the 
Jordan.  The  former  Bethsaida  of  Gaulanitis  was  rebuilt 
and  beautified  by  Herod  Philip  and  named  B.  Julias,  the 
Latin  genetive  being  added  in  honor  of  Augustus'  aban- 
doned daughter.  The  western  B.  seems  to  have  been  situ- 
ated near  Capernaum  and  to  have  been  distinguished  from 
the  other  by  being  called  Bethsaida  of  Galilee  (John  12:  i). 


Life  of  Christ.  5 

It  was  the  early  home  of  Andrew,  Peter  and  Philip  (John 
1 :  44).  (2)  Capernaum.  An  important  city  on  the  north- 
western shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee ;  its  exact  site  is  much 
disputed.  Scholarly  opinion  which  for  some  time  inclined 
to  locate  it  at  Khan  Minyeh  nearly  eight  miles  southwest  of 
the  entrance  of  the  Jordan,  is  now  leaning  toward  Tel 
Hum,  about  half  way  between  these  points  where  extensive 
ruins  point  to  a  place  once  of  great  importance.  It  was  a 
station  for  a  Roman  garrison  and  a  custom-house.  It  had 
at  least  one  public  synagogue.  Tel  Hum  shows  the  remains 
of  a  splendid  structure  of  this  kind.  (3)  Cana  of  Galilee. 
A  town  probably  about  4  miles  east  of  Nazareth.  (4) 
Chorazin.  A  city  mentioned  in  Matt.  11:21;  Luke  10:  13. 
Its  location  was  probably  two  or  three  miles  north  of  Khan 
Minyeh,  the  supposed  site  of  Capernaum.  (5)  Dalman- 
utha.  A  city  on  the  western  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee ; 
location  is  unknown.  (6)  Magdala.  (A.  V.  Matt.  15:39 
where  the  R.  V.  reads  Magadan,  although  some  think  that 
the  two  were  not  identical).  A  miserable  little  Moslem  vil- 
lage on  the  west  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  the  reputed 
home  of  Mary  Magdalene.  (7)  Nazareth.  A  town  in 
southern  Galilee,  where  Jesus  passed  the  first  thirty  years  of 
his  life.  The  region  is  beautiful.  The  hill  above  the  town 
gives  an  extensive  view.  It  is  not  mentioned  in  the  O.  T. 
but  exists  to-day  as  Bn-Nasira,  with  a  population  of  11,000. 
(8)  Nain.  A  town  six  miles  southeast  of  Nazareth,  at  one 
time  a  place  of  considerable  importance  but  now  a  collec- 
tion of  miserable  mud  hovels.  It  seems  never  to  have  been 
surrounded  by  a  wall,  "the  gate  of  the  city"  mentioned  in 
Luke  7 :  12  seems  to  have  been  merely  the  point  where  the 
main  road  enters  the  town.  The  situation  affords  one  of 
the  finest  views  in  Palestine.  In  Samaria  are :  (9)  Sychar. 
(Shechem),  a  little  village  at  Mt.  Ebal,  probably  where  the 
modern  village  of  Askar  now  stands.  It  is  about  half  a  mile 
north  of  Jacob's  Well.  (10)  ^non,  propably  a  group  of 
springs   about   four   miles   north   of    Salim.     (11)  Salim, 


6  Life  of  Christ. 

probably  a  town  about  four  miles  east  of  Shechem,  and  two 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Jacob's  Well. 

8.  Places  in  Judaea,  (i)  Jerusalem:  Shape.  An  ir- 
regular quadrilateral,  covering  five  mountains,  Acra,  Beze- 
tha,  Moriah,  Ophel,  Zion.  Districts,  (i)  "Zion"  or  the 
"Upper  City"  on  the  south,  upon  Mt.  Zion  and  Ophel;  (2) 
the  "Lower  City"  on  Acra,  including  the  Temple  on  Moriah, 
(3)  Bezetha,  Herod's  "New  City,"  farthest  north.  Build- 
ings. An  ancient  writer  called  it  "A  city  of  marble  and 
gold."  The  most  famous  in  Christ's  day  were  (i)  Herod's 
Temple,  covering  20  acres;  (2)  Herod's  Palace;  (3)  The 
Tower  of  Antonia ;  (4)  the  net  work  of  pools  and  subter- 
ranean aqueducts.  Walls,  (i)  David's,  around  Zion  and 
Ophel,  enclosing  the  Old  Jebusite  city.  (2)  Hezekiah's, 
encircling  Acra  and  Moriah.  (3)  Herod  Agrippa's,  built 
after  Christ,  sweeping  northward  around  Bezetha.  (4) 
The  present  wall  was  built  by  the  Turks,  about  400  years 
ago.  Gates.  The  ancient  city  had  eight  outside  gates,  chief 
of  which  were  (i)  "Damascus  Gate"  on  the  north,  open- 
ing toward  Samaria  and  Galilee;  (2)  "Valley"  or  "Joppa" 
gate  on  the  west,  leading  to  Joppa  and  Bethlehem;  (3) 
"Fountain  Gate"  on  the  south,  opening  on  the  Pool  of 
Siloam;  (4)  "Shushan"  or  the  "Lily  Gate"  of  the  Temple, 
on  the  east,  leading  across  Kedron  to  Bethany  and  Jericho. 
Valleys,  (i)  Jehoshaphat  or  Kedron,  running  past  the 
Temple  on  the  east;  (2)  Hinnom,  on  the  west  and  south; 
(3)  Tyropoean,  coming  through  the  city  from  north  to 
south.  Sacred  Places.  The  more  noted  were:  (i)  Sepul- 
chres of  David  and  the  Prophets  at  the  south.  (2)  Geth- 
semane,  and  Bethesda  on  the  east;  (3)  Calvary  and  the 
tombs  of  kings  and  judges  on  the  north.  (2)  Bethlehem. 
An  ancient  town  six  miles  south  of  Jerusalem,  the  birthplace 
of  David  and  of  Christ.  (3)  Bethany.  A  village  less  than 
two  miles  from  Jerusalem,  situated  on  the  southeastern  slope 
of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  on  the  road  that  leads  to  Jeri- 
cho. The  present  village  El-Azariyeh,  "the  place  of  Laza- 
rus" contains  about  200  inhabitants,  who  show  several  places 


Life  of  Christ.  f 

which  they  connect  with  the  history  of  Lazarus,  but  which 
are  of  much  later  date.  (4)  Bphraim,  fourteen  miles  north 
from  Jerusalem.  It  was  situated  on  a  lofty  hill  overlooking 
the  Jordan.  (5)  Hebron.  Ancient  capital  of  Juda,  a  priest 
city,  and  probably  birthplace  of  John.  (6)  Jericho,  city 
next  to  Jerusalem,  the  most  important  in  Palestine,  situated 
five  miles  west  of  the  Jordan,  and  seventeen  northeast  from 
Jerusalem.  It  was  the  favorite  residence  of  Herod  the 
Great,  the  center  of  an  extensive  commerce,  and  the  abode 
of  many  Jerusalem  priests. 

9.  Places  in  Perea  and  Philip's  Tetrarchy,  (i)  Beth- 
any beyond  Jordan.  (A.  V.  Bethabara),  the  traditional  site 
is  at  the  fords  of  the  Jordan,  east  of  Jericho.  Many  mod- 
ern authorities  favor  a  place  thirteen  miles  south  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee.  (2)  Fortress  Machaerus,  east  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
where  the  Baptist  was  imprisoned.  (3)  Caesarea  Philippi, 
situated  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Hermon,  greatly  enlarged  and 
beautified  by  Philip  the  Tetrarch.  He  changed  its  name 
Paneas  to  Caesarea,  in  honor  of  Augustus  Caesar,  and  added 
the  Latin  genetive  "Philippi,"  ("Of  Philip")  to  distinguish 
it  from  Caesarea  on  the  sea  coast.  From  a  cavern  in  a  lime- 
stone cliff  flows  one  of  the  main  sources  of  the  Jordan.  The 
cavern  was  sacred  to  the  god  Pan,  to  whom  Herod  the  Great 
erected  a  marble  temple.  The  entire  region  is  one  of  the 
most  charming  in  all  Palestine.  (4)  Gerasa,  or  Gersa, 
the  modern  Khersa,  an  obscure  village  on  the  eastern  shore 
of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  (5)  Bethsaida  Jidias,  north  of  the 
Sea  of  Galilee  and  east  of  the  Jordan.  (See  Western  Beth- 
saida in  Galilee.) 

10.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  12;  Hastings  D.  of  C. 
on  Golgatha  I,  655 ;  Jerusalem  I,  849 ;  Trade  and  Commerce  II, 
738;  Palestine  II,  p.  309;  Hast.  D.  of  Bible,  Roads  and  Travels  V, 
375;  Galilee  I,  98.  Stanley,  Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  175-274.  Smith, 
Hist.  Geog.  3-90  is  unsurpassed.  Breed,  Preparation  of  the  World, 
Ch.  I.  Fullerlove  and  Kelman,  The  Holy  Land.  Walker,  Jesus 
and  his  Surroundings.  Anthonj-,  A.  W.,  "Introduction  to  the  Life 
of  Jesus." 


8  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  2. 

The  Political  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived. 

II.  Jewish  History.  The  last  period  of  Jewish  his- 
tory extends  from  the  Babylonian  Captivity,  in  588  B.  C.  to 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  70.  It  is  a  period  of 
foreign  rule  and  may  be  divided  into  seven  parts:  (i) 
The  Babylonian  Rule,  about  50  years  (588-536  B.  C),  from 
the  Babylonian  Captivity  to  the  Fall  of  Babylon  through 
Cyrus.  Jerusalem  lay  in  ruins,  and  the  godly  Jews  were 
homesick  (Ps.  137).  (2)  The  Persian  Rule,  about  200 
years  (B.  C.  536  to  330).  Cyrus,  the  Persian,  overthrew 
the  Babylonian  Empire  and  in  536  B.  C.  allowed  the  Jews  to 
return  and  rebuild  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem.  Only  42,360 
Jews  returned  under  Zerubbabel  and  Joshua,  and  laid  the 
foundations  of  the  Temple  (Ezra  1:64;  3:10-13).  The 
Samaritans  offered  to  help,  but  were  refused.  Thereupon 
they  accused  the  Jews  of  treason  at  the  Persian  court,  which 
led  to  a  cessation  of  the  work  for  twelve  years.  In  516 
the  Temple  was  finally  completed.  In  458  Ezra  was  sent 
from  Persia  to  Jerusalem,  and  in  445  came  Nehemiah.  Both 
men  reorganized  the  national  life  (See  their  books  in  the 
O.  T.).  {2))  Greek  Rule.  Nine  years,  330-321  B.  C.  Alex- 
ander the  Great  destroyed  the  Persian  Empire  and  ruled 
Palestine  about  nine  years.  He  sent  from  Tyre  to  Jeru- 
salem and  demanded  submission.  When  the  Jews  refused 
he  marched  against  the  city,  but  was  pacified  by  a  procession 
of  priests  coming  to  greet  him.  He  entered  the  Temple, 
and  had  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  concerning  himself  read  to 
him.  He  treated  the  Jews  with  great  kindness,  and  when 
he  founded  his  Egyptian  capital,  Alexandria,  he  offered 
them  the  most  liberal  inducements  which  very  many  ac- 
cepted. After  Alexander's  death,  Palestine  became  the  bone 
of  contention  between  Syria  and  Eg>'pt.  (4)  Egyptian 
Rule,  120  years  (B.  C.  321-198).  Alexandria  became  the 
centre  of  Jewish  influence.     In  285  occurred  the  translation 


Life  of  Christ.  q 

of  the  O.  T.  into  Greek,  called  the  Septuagint  (LXX).  (5) 
Syrian  Rule,  about  40  years  (198-166  B.  C.)-  King  Antio- 
chus  Epiphanes  ("The  Illustrious,"  some  called  him,  Epi- 
manes — "The  Madman")  oppressed  the  Jews  most  cruelly. 
His  object  was  to  extirpate  the  Jewish  religion  and  force 
upon  them  Greek  religion  and  culture.  Jerusalem  was  twice 
captured  and  sacked,  the  Temple  desecrated  by  sacrificing 
swine  on  its  altars,  and  finally  closed.  This  treatment  drove 
the  Jews  to  revolt  (168).  After  a  two  years  struggle,  led 
by  the  priest  Mattathias  and  his  five  sons,  especially  Judas 
Maccabaeus  ("hammer"),  they  gained  their  independence 
in  B.  C.  166.  (6)  Maccahean  Independence,  126  years  (B. 
C.  166-40).  Civil  war,  treachery,  bloodshed  and  anarchy 
characterized  this  period  of  Asmonian  rule  (from  "Hash- 
man"  the  ancestor  of  Maccabaeus).  John  Hyrcanus  (135- 
105  B.  C.)  destroyed  the  Samaritan  temple  and  forced  the 
Idumeans  to  become  Jews.  (7)  Roman  Rule.  (40  B.  C.- 
70  A.  D.).  This  came  on  gradually  and  was  at  first  indi- 
rect. Antipater,  an  Idumean  officer  of  wealth,  influence 
and  ability,  acquired  complete  control  over  the  feeble  Hyr- 
canus II.  When  the  latter  and  his  brother  Aristobulus 
could  not  agree  on  the  succession  they  appealed  to  the 
Roman  general  Pompey,  who  had  just  completed  his  victory 
over  Syria  and  Pontus.  In  63  B.  C.  Pompey  came  to  Jeru- 
salem and  to  the  horror  of  the  Jews  entered  the  Holy  of 
Holies  which  he  found  empty  (Tac.  Hist.  v.).  He  decided 
for  Hyrcanus.  After  the  death  of  Pompey,  Antipater  saw 
that  his  advantage  lay  in  supporting  Julius  Caesar  (Pompey's 
enemy)  in  his  eastern  campaign.  In  consequence,  the  latter, 
out  of  gratitude,  conferred  upon  Antipater  Roman  citizen- 
ship and  confirmed  Hyrcanus  in  the  high  priesthood.  Soon 
after  this  Antipater  made  his  son  Herod  governor  of  Galilee. 
In  43  B.  C.  Antipater  was  poisoned.  In  order  to  ally  him- 
self with  the  reigning  Asmonian  House,  Herod  married  the 
beautiful  Mariamne,  the  granddaughter  of  Hyrcanus.  In 
40  B.  C.  the  Roman  senate  appointed  Herod  king  of  Pales- 
tine.    The  Jews  resisted  desperately  and  it  took  Herod  three 


lo  Life  of  Christ. 

years  to  capture  Jerusalem.     He  was  the  first  foreigner  to 
rule  directly  over  the  Jews, 

12.  Rule  of  Herod  the  Great.  (37-4  B.  C).  After 
the  conquest  of  Jerusalem,  Herod  killed  Antigonus,  the  last 
of  the  Maccabean  priest-kings,  45  of  his  most  prominent 
opponents,  and  every  member  of  the  Sanhedrin  but  two.  He 
was  an  exceedingly  bad  man  but  a  ruler  highly  talented, 
having  met  with  great  success.  On  this  account  he  is  called 
"the  Great."  He  built  a  harbor  and  called  it  Csesarea,  in 
honor  of  the  Roman  Emperor.  This  city  became  the  poli- 
tical capital  of  Palestine  under  the  procurators.  He  intro- 
duced foreign  customs,  erected  a  theatre  within,  and  an 
ampitheatre  without  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  instituted 
games,  and  even  gladiatorial  combats  with  wild  animals. 
In  20  B.  C.  he  proposed  to  rebuild  the  Temple.  The  people 
on  the  contrary  believed  he  intended  to  destroy  it.  To  as- 
sure them  of  his  sincerity,  he  agreed  to  prepare  the  ma- 
terials before  a  stone  of  the  old  building  should  be  removed. 
In  18  B.  C.  the  building  began  and  was  completed  in  65  A. 
D.,  only  five  years  before  its  final  destruction.  He  was 
bitterly  hated  by  the  people  for  his  cruelty  and  constant 
annoyance.  Among  other  things  he  placed  a  large  golden 
eagle,  the  emblem  of  Roman  power,  over  the  principal  gate 
of  the  Temple.  This  enraged  the  Jews.  Instigated  by  two 
rabbis  some  young  men  removed  it  and  were  burned  alive. 
At  another  time  ten  men  formed  a  plot  to  kill  Herod.  They 
were  betrayed  and  tortured  to  death.  Herod  died  after 
excruciating  pains  in  March  B.  C  4  (A.  U.  C.  750),  after  a 
reign  of  34  years. 

13.  Rule  of  Herod's  Family.  (4  B.  C.-ioi  A.  D.).  In  his 
will  Herod  the  Great  divided  Palestine  among  three  of  his 
sons :  ( I )  Archclaiis  to  be  tetrarch  of  Judea  and  Samaria 
(Matt.  2  "king")  ;  (2)  Herod  Antipas  (4  B.  C.-39  A.  D.), 
tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  Perea  (tetrarch  was  the  name  of 
a  ruler  of  the  fourth  part  of  a  territory,  but  loosely  used 
of  any  tributary  prince  inferior  in  rank  to  a  king).  His 
capital  was  Tiberias;  he  lived  in  open  sin  with  Herodias 


Life  of  Christ.  i  [ 

and  was  of  a  crafty  nature  ("Fox,"  Luke  13:32).  (3) 
Philip,  tetrarch  of  Iturea  (4  B.  C.-33  A.  D.),  was  the  best 
of  the  three.  (4)  A  Jewish  deputation  (Luke  19:14), 
joined  by  8,000  Jews  living  in  Rome,  met  Augustus  in  the 
temple  of  Apollo  requesting  him  not  to  confirm  the  will  of 
Herod,  but  rather  incorporate  Judea  into  the  province  of 
Syria.  But  Herod's  will  was  confirmed.  In  6  A,  D. 
Archelaus  was  accused  by  the  Jews  of  cruelty  and  deposed 
by  Augustus.  Henceforth  Judea  and  Samaria  were  ruled 
by  a  Roman  procurator  who  stood  under  the  Roman  legatus 
of  the  imperial  province  of  Syria.  The  fifth  man  to  hold 
this  office  was  Pontius  Pilate  26-36  A.  D.  In  37  A.  D.  the 
Roman  emperor  Caligula  (37-41)  gave  to  a  grandson  of 
Herod  the  Great,  Agrippa  I  (37-44)  the  tetrarchy  of  Philip 
(who  had  died  in  33),  also  the  title  "king."  In  39,  after 
Antipas  was  banished,  Caligula  added  to  it  Galilee  and 
Perea.  In  41,  Claudius  (41-54)  gave  him  also  Judea  and 
Samaria,  so  that  all  Palestine  became  once  more  united 
under  an  Herodian  prince.  In  order  to  please  the  Jews, 
Agrippa  persecuted  the  Christians,  killed  James  and  im- 
prisoned Peter  (Acts  12).  When,  in  44  A.  D.,  he  died,  his 
son  was  only  17  years  old,  so  Claudius  annexed  all  Palestine 
to  Syria  and  had  it  again  governed  by  procurators  (Acts  23  : 
24;  24:27,  two  of  whom  were  Felix  and  Festus).  In  53 
Claudius  gave  Agrippa  a  part  of  Philip's  tetrarchy  and  the 
title  "king,"  and  later  also  parts  of  Galilee  and  Perea.  Over 
this  territory  he  reigned  as  Agrippa  II,  from  53-101,  undis- 
turbed by  the  Jewish  war  and  its  dire  results. 


12 


Life  of  Christ. 


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Life  of  Christ.  13 

15.  Later  History  of  the  Jews,  (i)  The  Jewish  War 
(66-70).  In  A.  D.  66,  after  a  period  of  general  anarchy 
and  violence,  open  war  with  Rome  broke  out.  It  took  the 
Roman  legions  four  years  to  suppress  it.  By  the  spring  of 
A.  D.  70,  Vespasian  had  conquered  the  whole  country,  ex- 
cept Jerusalem,  which  he  turned  over  to  his  son  Titus  as  he 
had  been  proclaimed  emperor.  The  following  September, 
after  a  siege  in  which  the  frantic  defenders  endured  un- 
paralleled horrors,  the  city  was  captured,  razed  to  the 
ground,  the  Temple  destroyed,  the  wretched  survivors  slain 
or  sold  into  slavery,  and  the  ruins  occupied  by  a  Roman 
garrison.  (2)  Last  Revolt.  Another  rebellion  occured  in 
132-135  A.  D.,  the  cause  being  Emperor  Hadrian's  deter- 
mination to  build  a  heathen  city  on  the  site  of  Jerusalem,  and 
to  erect  a  temple  to  Jupiter  on  the  ruins  of  Jehovah's  Tem- 
ple. Bar-Cochbar  ("son  of  a  star"),  one  of  the  many  false 
Messiahs,  led  the  revolt,  supported  by  the  great  Rabbi 
Akiba;  580,000  men  fell  in  battle.  "All  Judea  was  well 
nigh  a  desert,"  writes  Dio  Cassius.  (3)  Later  History. 
When  the  Roman  Empire  was  divided  in  the  fourth  century, 
Palestine  fell  to  the  share  of  the  Eastern  Emperor  at  Con- 
stantinople, and  remained  under  the  government  of  Con- 
stantinople until  637  A.  D.,  when  it  was  overrun  and  con- 
quered by  the  Arabian  Saracens.  It  has  since  then,  with 
little  interruption,  been  under  Mohammedan  power.  The 
Seljukian  Turks  seized  the  country  in  1073,  and  by  their 
barbarous  treatment  of  Christian  pilgrims  brought  on  the 
Crusades.  The  Latin  kingdom,  with  its  nine  successive 
sovereigns,  established  in  1099,  held  Jerusalem  until  1187 
and  stayed  in  Acre  till  1291.  In  15 17,  the  Ottomans  came 
in  and  made  the  country  a  part  of  the  Turkish  Empire.  It 
was  snatched  from  the  Sultan  of  Mohammed  Ali  in  1832, 
but  Europe  intervened,  and  in  1841  it  was  given  back  again. 
At  present  a  movement  is  on  foot  among  the  Jews  called 
"Zionism,"  the  object  of  which  is  to  buy  Palestine  from 
Turkey  and  colonize  it  with  Jews. 

16.  Mode    of    Government    and    Taxation,      (i)   The 


14  I-rife  of  Christ. 

Roman  rule  was  harsh  and  unfeeHng,  but  the  Jews,  under 
their  high  priests  and  the  Sanhedrin,  enjoyed  a  large  meas- 
ure of  home  rule.  (2)  The  Sanhedrin  ("Presbytery,"  Lu. 
22:66,  "senate,"  Acts  5:21),  was  the  supreme  governing 
council  of  the  Jews  having  judicial  and  within  certain  limita- 
tions, executive  authority.  Its  decrees  were  of  binding 
force  even  among  the  Jews  of  the  diaspora  (Acts  9:2). 
(3)  Its  origin  was  traced  back  by  the  Jews  to  Moses  (Deut. 
16:27,  8),  but  it  is  almost  certain  that  it  came  into  being 
only  after  the  Babylonian  captivity,  and  its  name  ("Syned- 
rion")  indicates  that  it  originated  under  Greek  rule.  (4) 
Its  membership  was  composed  of  70  men,  called  elders  and 
rulers,  with  the  high  priest  as  president  ex-officio.  In  the 
time  of  Christ  the  members  came  from  two  leading  classes : 
chief  priests  (heads  of  the  24  orders),  who  appear  to  have 
been  for  the  most  part  Sadducees,  and  Scribes,  representing 
the  Pharisees  who  at  this  time  had  the  greater  influence 
among  the  people.  Those  not  included  in  these  two  classes 
are  designated  elders,  i.  e.,  heads  of  families.  In  Christ's 
time,  the  Pharisees  had  the  majority,  but  the  Sadducees  the 
presidency.  The  members  of  this  council  were  probably 
chosen  for  life  by  the  Sanhedrin  itself,  or  upon  nomination 
of  the  latter  were  appointed  by  the  king  or  Roman  procura- 
tor. (5)  The  qualifications  for  membership  were  that  a 
man  must  be  good  looking,  of  blameless  life  and  morals,  the 
father  of  a  family,  and  learned  in  the  law,  in  science  and 
language.  (6)  There  may  have  been  a  small  Sanhedrin, 
composed  of  24  members —  a  bare  quorum  (night  trial  of 
Jesus).  (7)  Its  regular  place  of  meeting  was  in  Jerusalem, 
in  the  hall  or  Chamber  Gazith  within  the  Temple  enclosure. 
(8)  In  course  of  time  its  jurisdiction  was  much  curtailed : 
first  by  Herod  and  afterwards  by  the  Romans.  It  could,  e. 
g.,  not  execute  a  sentence  of  death  until  the  case  had  been 
reviewed  by  the  Roman  governor  (Jno.  18:31  ;  19:6;  Jos. 
Ant.  XX,  9:1).  (9)  Ordinary  cases  came  before  the  Lesser 
Sanhedrin,  of  which  there  were  two  in  Jerusalem,  and  one  in 
every  town  with  more  than  121  inhabitants.    (10)  Taxation. 


Life  of  Christ.  15 

Usually  the  Romans  farmed  out  the  revenues  of  a  district 
or  on  a  certain  article  to  a  local  collector  for  a  lump  sum, 
who  with  his  employees  collected  as  much  as  they  could. 
Zachaeus  was  such  a  "chief  of  publicans."  Extortion  was 
the  rule,  and  only  limited  by  the  victim's  ability  to  pay.  A 
Jew  who  held  such  a  position  became  a  social  outcast,  first, 
on  principle,  because  paying  any  kind  of  taxes  to  a  heathen 
power  was  considered  treason  to  Jehovah,  their  invisible 
King  (Hence  the  offerings  of  publicans  were  not  accepted  at 
the  synagogue)  ;  second,  because  most  of  them  were  person- 
ally dishonest  (Lu.  15:  1-2). 

17.  Divisions,  Names  and  Language,  (i)  The  Jew- 
ish nation  was  divided  into  two  sections :  The  Jews  in  Pales- 
tine, and  the  Jews  of  the  Dispersion.  The  latter  were  more 
numerous  than  the  former  and  were  found  in  all  countries 
(John  7:35;  Acts  2:10;  Jas.  i :  i ;  i  Peter  1:1).  There 
were  four  sections  of  the  Dispersion :  ( i )  the  original  Dis- 
persion in  Babylon,  (2)  in  Syria  and  Asia  Minor  (Antioch)  ; 
(3)  in  Egypt  (Alexandria)  ;  (4)  in  the  West  (Rome).  (2) 
Names.  In  the  N.  T.  the  Jews  are  known  by  three  names: 
(a)  Jew  {contracted  from  Judean).  Originally  the  name 
of  the  people  of  Judah,  but  after  the  exile  including  all  the 
children  of  Israel.  In  the  Fourth  Gospel  it  is  almost  uni- 
formly used  in  a  hostile  sense  to  denote  the  enemies  of  Jesus. 
This  name  denotes  the  nationality  in  opposition  to  "Greek," 
or  "Gentile"  (Jos.  Ant.  II,  5,  7:  i-(b)  ).  (b)  "Hebrew,"  a 
Jew  in  respect  to  his  language  and  education,  in  opposition 
to  a  "Hellenist,"  a  Jew  speaking  Greek.  The  Jews  in  Pales- 
tine and  the  East  were  called  "Hebrews"  because  they  used 
the  Aramaic,  and  the  rest  "Hellenists"  or  "Grecians"  because 
they  used  the  Greek  language,  (c)  "Israelite,"  a  Jew  in 
respect  to  his  religious  privileges.  (Trench  N.  T.  Syno- 
nyms). (3)  In  the  New  Testament  we  find  traces  of  four 
languages — i.  Old  Hebrew,  lost  in  Babylon,  but  still  read  in 
Christ's  time  in  the  synagogue,  yet  not  well  understood, 
needing  interpretation  through  the  Aramaic  paraphrases. 
(Targums).     After  the  return  from  Babylon  it  became  the 


l6  Life  of  Christ. 

language  of  worship  and  revelation,  and  with  the  aroma  of 
old  associations,  it  was  kept  for  holy  uses.  (2)  Aramaic, 
cognate  to  Hebrew  and  therefore  easily  adopted  by  the  Jews 
in  Babylon  and  retained  after  their  return  to  Palestine.  It 
is  the  "Syrian  language,"  mentioned  in  2  Kings  18:  26;  Isa. 
36:  II ;  Dan.  2:4.  As  this  was  the  language  of  the  Jews 
in  the  time  of  Christ,  it  was  undoubtedly  the  mother  tongue 
of  our  Lord.  See  instances  in  Mark  7 :  34 ;  15 :  34.  This  is 
the  language  referred  to  in  John  19:  20,  21  and  Acts  22:  2, 
as  "Hebrew."  (3)  Greek.  The  language  of  polite  litera- 
ture in  all  countries,  strongly  opposed  by  the  Pharisees,  but 
employed  by  the  Jews  of  the  Dispersion,  and  used  in  the 
court  of  Herod  and  Pilate  (Acts  21:37).  (4)  Latin,  the 
official  language  of  the  Roman  government,  was  not  used  by 
the  Jews,  and  not  generally  understood  by  them.  It  was 
thought  necessary  to  write  the  inscription  over  the  cross  in 
all  three  languages. 

18.  History  of  the  Roman  Empire,  (i)  Though  the 
name  appears  only  twice  in  the  gospels  (John  11:48;  19: 
20),  Rome  and  the  Romans  formed  a  strong  background  to 
the  action  of  the  leading  figures  in  the  life  of  Christ  as  is 
shown  by  numerous  references  to  the  emperor  (Matt.  22: 
17;  Mark  12:  14;  Lu.  2:  i ;  3:  i ;  20:  22  ;  23  :  2;  Jno.  19:  12), 
to  governor  Pilate,  the  centurions  and  the  soldiers.  A  brief 
sketch  of  Roman  conditions  will  therefore  aid  us  in  our 
study  of  the  life  of  Christ.  (2)  The  Roman  republic 
which  had  lasted  500  years  (509  to  31  B.  C.)  was  finally  de- 
stroyed and  the  Roman  empire  established  by  the  double 
battle  at  Philippi,  B.  C.  42,  and  the  naval  battle  at  Actium, 
west  of  Greece,  in  September,  B.  C.  31,  in  all  three  of  which 
Augustus  commanded  the  imperial  forces  and  defeated 
those  of  the  republic.  (3)  The  emperors  of  the  first  Chris- 
tian century  were:  (a)  Augustus,  31  B.  C.  to  14  A.  D. 
(Lu.  2:1).  The  Temple  of  Janus  was  closed,  which  was 
an  indication  that  universal  peace  reigned  throughout  the 
world,  when  Jesus  the  "Prince  of  Peace"  was  born.  The  de- 
feat of  the  Roman  legions  by  Hermann,  9  A.  D.  in  the 


Life  of  Christ.  17 

Teutoburg  Forest,  was  the  last  serious  attempt  of  the  Ro- 
mans to  subjugate  the  Germans  beyond  the  Rhine.  He  re- 
built and  beautified  Rome,  (b)  Tiberius,  14-37  (Lu.  3:1), 
a  great  military  commander  and  at  first  an  able  ruler.  By 
degrees,  owing  to  dissention  with  his  wife,  he  became 
gloomy  and  suspicious  and  ended  his  life  as  a  cruel  and  re- 
vengeful tyrant.  He  spent  the  last  eight  years  of  his  life  on 
Capri.  Under  his  reign  Jesus  died,  and  it  is  said  that  Pilate 
sent  him  a  report  of  the  trial.  Of  the  people  he  said  "Let 
them  hate  me,  provided  they  respect  me."  (c)  Caligula,  37- 
41.  His  actions  indicate  insanity.  He  demanded  divine 
honors,  delighted  in  bloodshed,  wished  the  Roman  people 
might  have  only  one  neck  which  he  might  then  cut  ofif  with 
a  single  stroke,  had  his  favorite  horse  appointed  a  consul, 
built  a  bridge  from  the  Capitoline  hill  to  the  Palatine  in 
order  to  be  nearer  to  the  temple  of  Jupiter,  whose  equal  he 
considered  himself  to  be.  His  motto  was  "Let  the  people 
hate  me,  provided  they  fear  me."  (d)  Claudius,  41-54,  a 
man  of  learning,  but  weak  and  the  slave  of  his  two  wicked 
wives,  the  second  of  which  poisoned  him.  Under  him 
Britain  was  conquered,  the  great  aqueducts  at  Rome  com- 
pleted, and  the  Jews  expelled  from  Rome    (Acts   18:2). 

(e)  Nero,  54-68,  a  knave  beyond  comparison,  who  killed 
his  mother,  wife,  brother  and  his  teacher  Seneca.  In  64  he 
set  fire  to  Rome  and  put  the  blame  on  the  Christians.  This 
charge  led  to  the  first  persecution  of  the  Christians  in  64-67, 
in  which  Peter  was  crucified  and  Paul  beheaded.  When  a 
revolution  in  the  armies  of  Gaul,  Spain  and  Germany  broke 
out  against  him,  he  committed  suicide,  his  last  words  being, 
"What  a  great  artist  dies  with  me."     (Read  "Quo  Vadis"). 

(f)  Galha,  Otho  and  Vitellius,  three  in  the  one  year  68. 

(g)  Vespasian,  69-79,  the  general  in  the  war  against  the 
Jews  (66-70),  (which  war  his  son  Titus  completed  by  cap- 
turing Jerusalem  and  destroying  the  temple  in  70.  Arch 
of  Titus  at  Rome).  He  also  built  the  Colosseum.  (h) 
Titus,  79-81,  won  all  hearts  by  his  justice  and  humanity. 
"I  have  lost  a  day"  he  would  say,  when  a  day  had  passed 


1 8  Life  of  Christ. 

without  an  act  of  kindness.  The  eruption  of  Mount  Vesu- 
vius destroyed  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii  on  which  occa- 
sion the  elder  Pliny,  the  author  of  a  Natural  History  and  a 
History  of  the  Germans,  perished,  (i)  Domitian,  81-96,  the 
brother  of  Titus  and  a  tyrant  of  the  worst  type.  He  ban- 
ished the  Apostle  John  to  Patmos,  and  cited  the  relatives  of 
Jesus  to  appear  before  him,  because  he  had  a  suspicion  that 
they  might  revive  the  claims  of  Jesus  to  the  throne  of  David. 
(4)  The  population  of  the  entire  Roman  empire  was  120 
millions :  Of  these,  40  millions  were  in  Europe,  7  millions 
in  Italy.  Of  the  120  millions,  60  millions  were  slaves,  40 
millions  tributaries  and  freedmen,  and  only  20  millions  citi- 
zens.    The  army  numbered  400,000,  the  navy  50,000. 

19.  Reference  Literature.  Read  the  O.  T.  books  of  Ezra, 
Nehemia  and  Esther;  also  I.  and  II.  Maccabees  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Apocrypha ;  Farrar,  Excursus  13,  on  the  Sanhedrin ;  consult 
dictionaries  on  the  general  topics,  especially,  Hastings  D.  C.  on 
Augustus,  Vol.  I.,  143;  the  Herods,  I.,  717;  Romans  II,  536;  Dis- 
persion I,  465;  Pol  Conditions  II,  378;  Pilate,  363;  Newman's  Church 
History  I,  29,  on  Roman  empire;  p.  35  on  Babylonian  Captivity; 
p.  40  on  Syrian  rulers ;  p.  44  on  Maccabees.  Jos.  Ant.  XII  and 
XIII,  on  the  Greek  and  Maccabean  Epochs ;  Schuerer,  The  Jewish 
People,  Div.  I,  Vol.  I,  p.  186;  Rigg's  History,  p.  260,  Jewish  Wars. 
On  Antipas,  Christoterpe  1909;  Schuerer,  Language,  Div.  II,  Vol. 
I,  pp.  8-10;  Matthew's  History  of  the  N.  T.  Times;  Rigg's  History, 
After  the  War,  p.  278;  Grant,  Between  the  Testaments,  p.  6;  Breed, 
Preparation  of  the  World,  Chapters  3-9;  A.  Meyer,  Jesu  Mutter- 
sprache;  on  the  same  subject  an  essay  by  Delitzsch  in  the  "Daheim," 
translated  for  the  "Chr.  World,"  by  Dr.  A.  Zerbe;  Allan  &  Myers, 
Ancient  History,  Part  3;  On  the  Jewish  War,  Farrar,  Early  Days 
of  Christianity,  Ch.  27,  29;  Handel's  Opera  "The  Maccabees;" 
Gess,  Zukunft  des  Jued.  Volkes,  Christoterpe,  1882;  Schmidt,  Ram- 
ulda,  Erzaehlung  aus  der  Maccabaer  Zeit,  310  pages;  Seeley,  The 
Hammer,  a  story  of  the  Maccabean  times. 


Life  of  Christ.  19 

CHAPTER  3. 

The  Intellectual  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived. 

20.  Christ  lived  in  a  highly  developed  intellectual  age. 
Alexander  the  Great  (336-323  B.  C.)  had  diffused  Greek 
civilization  v^ith  its  matchless  language,  literature,  art,  phil- 
osophy, and  science  over  the  whole  civilized  world,  so  that 
in  his  day  Greek  culture  had  reached  its  highest  point. 
History  shows  plainly  that  while  God  used  the  Jews  as  His 
instrument  to  furnish  the  substance  of  Christianity  (John 
4:22),  Greek-Roman  paganism,  in  the  providence  of  God, 
contributed  largely  to  its  form.  Without  this  co-operation 
Christianity  would  never  have  risen  to  the  place  of  the  uni- 
versal world  religion,  but  would  have  degenerated  into  a 
mere  Jewish  sect. 

21.  Jewish  Culture.  The  Jews  possessed,  as  the  Tal- 
mud and  the  Old  Testament  show,  a  great  mass  of  valid 
technical  and  general  knowledge,  but  they  lacked  the  power 
of  logical  abstraction.  This  showed  itself  in  two  ways ; 
they  could  not  frame  definitions  of  objects  but  only  gave 
descriptions,  neither  had  they  the  right  conception  of  law, 
but  meant  by  law  merely  the  precepts  of  a  ruler.  Con- 
sequently they  had  no  real  science  and  philosophy  and  very 
little  art ;  the  latter  being  discouraged  by  the  2nd  command- 
ment. They  opposed  the  spread  of  Greek  culture,  and 
some  Rabbis  pronounced  a  ban  on  all  who  studied  "Greek 
wisdom."  At  this  period,  however,  the  nation  and  indi- 
viduals, especially  the  Hellenists  were  powerfully  influenced 
by  the  general  world-culture  as  is  shown  in  their  literature. 
Their  writers  were  greatly  aided  by  the  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament  into  Greek,  the  Septuagint  (LXX). 

22.  Jewish  Literature.  The  extra-canonical  literature 
of  the  Jews  falls  into  three  classes :  the  Apocrypha,  the 
Apocalyptic  literature  and  a  few  later  books,  (i)  The 
Apocrypha  (hidden,  or  concealed,  referring  to  suspected 
authorship  or  obscure  teaching,  but  generally  meaning  only 


20  Life  of  Christ. 

extra-canonical)  form  a  group  of  17  books  written  in  the 
Greek  language  between  200  B.  C.  and  the  time  of  Christ. 
They  are  the  product  of  the  Hellenistic  Jews,  incorporated 
into  the  LXX,  but  excluded  from  the  Hebrew  Canon.  They 
were  canonized  by  the  Council  of  Trent  1546,  and  are 
recommended  by  many  Protestants  as  "useful  and  good  to 
read,"  yet  not  inspired.  (2)  Their  titles  are  I  &  H  Esdras, 
Tobit,  Judith,  Esther,  Wisdom  of  Solomon,  Ecclesiasticus, 
Baruch,  Jeremy,  Song  of  the  Three  Children,  Susanna,  Bel 
and  the  Dragon,  Prayer  of  Manassas  and  I  to  IV  Macca- 
bees. 

23.  Apocalyptic  Literature,  (a)  The  term  means  to 
uncover  or  reveal.  There  are  three  classes  of  Apocalyptic 
literature:  i.  the  early  Jezvish,  200-100  B.  C. ;  2.  the  Chris- 
tian, including  John's  Revelation,  to  Dante's  Divine  Com- 
edia.  3.  The  later  Hebrew.  Only  the  first  class  need  be 
noticed  here,  (b)  List  of  Apocalyptic  books  before  Christ : 
I.  Within  the  Old  Testament  Canon ;  Ezekiel,  Daniel,  Zecha- 
riah  and  Joel ;  2.  among  the  Apocrypha ;  H  Esdras  and 
Baruch ;  3.  otherwise  extant ;  Book  of  Enoch,  Secrets  of 
Enoch,  Book  of  Jubilees,  Testament  of  the  Twelve  Patri- 
archs, Psalms  of  Solomon,  Sibylline  Oracles ;  Assumption 
of  Moses ;  4.  Quoted  by  some  early  Fathers  but  not  extant ; 
Prayer  of  Joseph,  Book  of  Eldad  and  Moldad,  Apocalypse 
of  Elijah,  Apocalypse  of  Zephaniah ;  5.  Known  only  by 
name:  Baruch,  Habbakuk,  Ezekiel,  Daniel  (See  Bennett  and 
Adeney,  *'A  Biblical  Introduction,"  page  268).  (c)  Com- 
mon characteristics  of  the  non-canonical  Apocalyptic  books. 
1.  The  vision  form.  2.  The  visions  are  expressed  in  sym- 
bolical figures ;  beasts  and  mystic  numbers.  3.  Highly  de- 
veloped angelology  ;  4.  The  Unknown  as  subject-matter.  5. 
Pseudonymity  (False  name  of  authors).  6.  Optimism.  7. 
Theological  ideas  in  common  on  sin,  the  Messiah,  resurrec- 
tion, judgment,  punishment,  reward,  restoration  of  the 
world,  predestination,  (d)  Reasons  for  the  origin  of  this 
type  of  literature :  As  prophecy  died  out  the  Apocalyptists 
took  its  place.       (e)   Authorship:  The  Apocalyptic  books 


Life  of  Christ.  2i 

were  either  anonymous  or  pseudonymous  (giving  no  name 
or  a  false  name  as  author;  the  latter  to  secure  authority  to 
the  book),  (f)  Importance:  To  a  thorough  study  of  the 
life  of  Christ  some  knowledge  of  the  extra-canonical  liter- 
ature is  necessary  because  a  flood  of  light  is  shed  by  the 
form  and  contents  of  the  Apocalyptic  literature  on  Christ's 
life,  his  teaching,  phraseology  and  works,  (g)  Its  influence 
on  the  N.  T.  is  shown:  i.  In  the  form  of  whole  N.  T.  books, 
(Rev.),  or  of  parts  (Matt.  24;  II  Thess.  2:2-12).  2.  In 
prominent  phrases,  as  "Son  of  Man,"  (Dan.  7:  13),  "day  of 
judgment ;"  3.  In  quotations  ( Jude  14,  from  Enoch ;  Jude 
9,  from  Ass.  of  Moses).  4.  Some  of  their  subject-matter 
is  freely  adopted  and  spiritualized. 

24.  Later  Literature,  (i)  In  Philo  (about  20  B.  C- 
53  A.  D.),  the  type  of  philosophical  thought  known  as  the 
Jewish-Alexandrian  reached  its  highest  development.  He 
applied  to  the  Old  Testament  the  allegorical  method  em- 
ployed for  centuries  by  the  Greeks  to  the  interpretation  of 
Homer.  By  this  method  everything  deemed  unworthy  of 
the  gods  was  explained  away.  As  Philo  lacked  the  histor- 
ical spirit,  he  was  unable  to  appreciate  the  progressive  char- 
acter of  revelation  and  to  understand  the  relation  of  the 
human  and  divine  in  the  Scripture.  So  in  his  anxiety  to 
show  the  perfect  harmony  between  Old  Testament  thought 
and  Greek  philosophy  he  used  a  method  which  enabled  him 
to  explain  away  whatever  seemed  to  obstruct  the  attainment 
of  his  object.  Whatever  in  the  Old  Testament  seemed  to 
him  unworthy  of  God,  or  childish,  or  opposed  to  Greek  phil- 
osophy, he  spiritualized.  Thus  he  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  everything  that  was  wise  and  exalted  in  Greek  philoso- 
phy lay  concealed  in  the  Old  Testament.  Philo  also  develop- 
ed the  Logos  doctrine,  and  the  relation  between  his  teaching 
on  the  Logos  and  that  of  John  is  still  a  matter  of  dispute. 
(2)  Josephus  (37-103  A.  D.),  a  Jewish  priest,  first  a  general 
of  the  Jewish  rebels  in  Galilee,  later  a  protege  of  Titus.  He 
wrote:  i.  Antiquities,  the  History  of  the  Jews,  2.  Jewish 
War,   3.  Against   Apion   and  4.  An    Autobiography.     He 


22  Life  of  Christ. 

wrote  in  Greek  and  Aramaic.  His  works  are  highly  inter- 
esting and  should  be  consulted  by  Bible  students  who  aim 
at  thoroughness. 

25.  Greek  Culture,  Greek  art,  literature  and  philos- 
ophy ruled  the  world  in  which  Christ  lived  absolutely,  as 
they  still  do  ours  to  a  large  extent.  Of  its  great  influence 
even  the  New  Testament  is  witness.  A  sketch  of  the  prin- 
cipal philosophical  systems  and  schools  is  therefore  helpful. 
(a)  The  Bpicureans  were  skeptics  and  declared  against  all 
religion.  The  world  arose  from  chance ;  there  is  no  provi- 
dence; soul  is  mortal;  pleasure  is  the  ultimate  end  of  life 
(Paul  at  Athens),  (b)  The  Academics  were  agnostics;  and 
held  it  impossible  to  arrive  at  objective  truth  (Pilate).  They 
questioned  whether  a  god  existed,  whether  the  soul  was  im- 
mortal, also  whether  virtue  was  to  be  preferred  to  vice. 
(c)  The  Aristotelians  were  deists.  God  is  a  principle  giv- 
ing motion  to  the  machine  but  is  perfectly  indifferent  to  the 
affairs  of  men.  (d)  The  Platonists  had  a  high  idea  of  God 
but  limited  him  in  his  perfections.  Soul  is  immortal;  (in 
Heb.  10:  I,  we  have  an  echo  of  Plato's  "ideas"),  (e)  The 
Stoics  were  materialistic  pantheists.  Everything  (our  souls 
too)  is  part  of  the  deity.  Virtue  is  the  chief  end  of  life  and 
should  be  practiced  for  its  own  sake.  Mere  pleasure  should 
never  be  made  an  end.  Freedom  from  passion  is  the  mark 
of  a  perfect  man.  Stoicism  defends  suicide.  It  produced  an 
elevated  but  sombre  and  morose  type  of  character.  On  its 
ethical  side  it  had  much  in  common  with  Christianity  (Paul 
at  Athens),  (f)  The  Eclectics  neld  Plato  in  high  esteem 
but  selected  from  other  systems  whatever  pleased  them,  as 
in  all  systems  so  many  things  seemed  unreasonable  and  ab- 
surd, (g)  The  most  popular  'yhilosophies  in  the  time  of 
Christ  were  the  Epicurean  and  the  various  forms  of  skep- 
ticism. Their  denial  of  the  supernatural  and  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul,  making  pleasure  the  end  of  life,  led  to  a 
frightful  debasement  of  morals.  Greek  philosophy  had  ex- 
hausted the  possibilities  of  the  uninspired  human  mind,  and 
the  world  was  sadly  in  need  of  one  who  could  say  "I  am 
the  way  and  the  truth  and  the  life." 


Life  of  Christ.  23 

26.  Roman  Culture.  Christ's  time  was  the  "golden  age" 
of  Roman  hterature,  made  illustrious  by  a  large  group  of 
writers  in  prose  and  poetry.  Its  splendor  and  activity  in 
art  was  such  as  had  seldom  existed  in  the  history  of  the 
human  race.  (a)  Architectural  zvorks.  Caesar  Augustus 
himself  built  twelve  temples,  repaired  82  which  had  fallen 
into  decay,  laid  out  the  new  Forum  Julium,  completed  the 
large  Basilica  Julia,  constructed  a  mausoleum  for  himself. 
He  could  say  "I  have  found  Rome  of  brick  and  left  it  of 
marble."  (b)  Roman  art.  The  arch  was  developed  into 
the  dome  as  employed  in  the  Pantheon.  Greek  art,  especial- 
ly the  Doric,  Ionic  and  Corinthian  style  of  architecture,  was 
introduced,  (c)  Literature,  i.  Poets:  Virgil  died  in  19 
B.  C,  wrote  the  Aeneid ;  Horace,  died  8  A.  D.,  is  the  model 
of  lyric  poetry.  His  odes,  satyres  and  epistles  are  models 
of  wisdom.  Ovid,  died  17  A.  D.,  wrote  Metamorphoses. 
2.  Prose  zvritcrs:  Sallust,  Livy,  the  greatest  of  Roman 
historians,  Nepos,  Julius  Caesar.  Maecenes,  a  chosen  coun- 
sellor of  Augustus,  was  a  munificent  patron  of  literature, 
encouraging  men  like  Horace  and  Virgil.  (3)  Statesmen  and 
orators:  Cicero.  (4)  Philosophers:  Seneca,  Cicero, 
Epictetus.  (5)  Even  in  Rome  the  Greek  was  used  as  a 
literary  medium  and  sign  of  higher  culture. 

27.  Reference  Literature.  Consult  D.  B.,  especially  Enclycl.  by 
Stanford  on  Stoics,  Talmud,  Targum,  N.  T.  Apocrypha,  Seneca,  So- 
crates, Egypt ;  Herzog  and  Schaff — Herzog  on  Hillel,  Josephus,  Mid- 
rash;  Piercy  on  Jewish  Language,  Roman  Empire,  Rome,  Hellenist. 
Hastings  D.  C.  on  Apocrj^pha  and  Apocal  I,  79-94,  223;  II,  577  on 
Jewish  Science,  Greek  Influence  in  Palestine  I,  691 ;  Robert  N. 
Wilson,  M.  D.,  Medical  Men  in  Time  of  Christ;  Snell,  The  Value 
of  the  Aprocrypha;  Newmann's  Church  History  I,  ch.  2  on  Graeco- 
Roman  civilization;  I,  p.  21,  Greek  philosophy;  p.  40  the  LXX  and 
Aprocrypha;  p.  59  on  Philo.  Breed,  Preparation  of  the  World, 
ch.  10;  Koenig,  Talmud  and  N.  T. ;  Farrar,  Life  of  Christ,  Excur, 
4,  "Greek  Learning,"  Excur.  7,  Jewish  Angelology,  Excur.  12  on 
Talmud ;  Bennett  and  Adeney,  Bibl.  Introd.  p.  268  on  O.  T.  Apo- 
crypha; Ueberweg  and  Schwegler,  History  of  Philosophy;  Sander* 
and  Fowler,  Bibl.  Hist,  and  Lit,  p.  1 17-168;  On  Philo,  Farrar,  Early 


24  Life  of  Christ. 

Days  of  Christianity,  ch.  13  and  14;  Grant,  Between  the  Testa- 
ments, pp.  109-146;  Bennet  and  Adeney,  Bibl.  Introd.  pp.  268-274; 
Riggs'  History  of  the  Jewish  People;  Heinrici ;  Hellenismus  und 
Christentum    (Bib.  Zeitfragen). 

CHAPTER  4. 

The  Religious  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived. 

28.  Religion  among  the  Jews,  (i)  The  majority  of 
the  Jews  in  Christ's  time,  in  Palestine  and  in  the  diaspora, 
were  intensely  religious,  even  to  fanaticism.  (2)  There 
was  a  dark  and  bright  side  to  Judaism  in  Christ's  time.  The 
dark  side  manifested  itself  in  its  deism,  self -righteousness 
and  licentiousness.  The  bright  side  was  represented  in 
characters  like  the  family  of  Jesus,  Zacharias,  Elizabeth, 
Simeon,  Anna,  Nathanael,  Nicodemus.  Its  literature,  in- 
cluding the  Talmud,  contains  many  gems,  some  of  which 
Jesus  appropriated  and  spiritualized.  The  golden  rule  has 
been  attributed  to  Hillel,  and  many  features  of  his  parables 
are  also  found  in  Jewish  literature.  There  was  a  profound 
seriousness  on  the  subject  of  religion  and  less  professed 
atheism,  indifference  and  levity  than  there  has  ever  been  in 
any  society,  ancient  or  modern.  Even  in  Christ's  time  and 
afterwards,  Judaism  had  the  inner  strength  to  produce  mar- 
tyrs (Zealots). 

29.  Messianic  Hope,  (i)  The  all-prevailing  spirit  of 
the  Jewish  religion  was  the  expectation  of  the  IMessiah. 
This  hope  was  inspired  and  strengthened  by  the  "Messianic 
prophecies."  (2)  This  term  has  two  meanings:  In  its 
narrower  sense  it  refers  to  all  those  specific  predictions 
which  connect  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
with  a  definite,  unique  personality — the  Messiah.  (Greek, 
Christos  ;  Latin,  Christus ;  English,  The  Anointed  ;  German, 
Der  Gesalbte — in  all  languages  from  the  verb  to  anoint). 
In  its  broader  sense  the  term  includes  all  the  great  institu- 
tions of  the  Hebrew  nation,  the  prophetic  order,  the  mon- 


Life  of  Christ.  25 

archy  and  the  priesthood,  which  find  their  full  meaning  in 
the  Messiah  and  his  kingdom,  and  which  had  meaning  only 
in  so  far  as  they  pointed  to  a  final  and  perfected  salvation 
in  God's  kingdom.  (3)  Development.  The  Messianic 
predictions  were  at  first  vague,  but  became  more  definite  as 
they  narrowed  to  a  single  family  and  to  one  person.  The 
Messiah  was  to  be  a  man  (Gen.  3 :  15),  a  Semite,  an  Israel- 
ite (Gen.  12:3),  from  the  Tribe  of  Judah  (Gen.  49:  10), 
from  the  House  of  David  (Isa.  11 :  i)  ;  the  place  of  birth 
(Micah  5:2);  the  time  of  appearance  (Dan.  9:20,  25); 
(Haggai  2:7;  Mai.  3:1).  (4)  Fulfilment  in  Christ.  It 
was  the  great  object  of  the  gospels  to  vindicate  the  claim 
of  Jesus  to  the  Messiahship  by  adducing  proof  that  he  was 
the  one  to  whom  the  finger  of  prophecy  pointed.  In  the 
spiritual  sense,  Christ  fulfilled  all  the  older  types.  He  was 
the  prophet  sent  by  God  (Jno.  3:2;  17:8;  Act.  3:22)  ;  a 
Priest  (Heb.  3:1,  2;  5:6;  7:23-28);  a  King  (Matt.  2:2; 
21 :  5,  II ;  Phil.  2:9,  11 ;  Rev.  11 :  15 ;  17:  14)  ;  the  Servant 
(Lu.  22:27)  ;  and  the  sacrificial  offering  (Heb.  9:  13;  14: 
26).  Even  in  respect  to  the  material  blessings  proceeding 
from  him  Christ  fulfills  with  increasing  measure,  the  dreams 
of  the  seers  of  all  the  ages.  (5)  The  rulers  of  Christ's 
lime  rejected  the  claims  of  Jesus  because  they  neither  har- 
monized with  their  perverted  ideal  of  the  Messiah,  nor  with 
their  notions  as  to  the  outward  signs  preceding  his  appear- 
ance. They  expected  a  mere  political  deliverer  who  would 
take  revenge  on  their  oppressors  and  erect  a  great  Jewish 
world  empire.  So  when  Jesus  and  his  apostles  emphasized 
the  spiritual  meaning  of  the  Messianic  prophecies,  the  Jews 
felt  scandalized.  They  also  believed  that  his  appearance 
would  be  preceded  by  a  series  of  struggles  and  that  these 
would  be  announced  by  omens  in  the  heavens.  ("Swords 
appear  in  heaven.")     Elijah  was  to  precede  him. 

30.  The  Pharisees.  ( i )  There  were  three  religious 
sects  among  the  Jews,  the  Pharisees,  Sadducees  and  Bssenes, 
which  may  be  generally  characterized  as  the  conservative 
formalists,   the   advanced   free  thinkers   and   the   mystical 


26  Life  of  Christ. 

pietists.  (2)  The  name  Pharisee  is  derived  from  the  He- 
brew parash,  "separated,"  that  is,  people  who  by  their  su- 
perior holiness  distinguished  themselves  from  the  multitude. 
(3)  Numbers:  There  were  about  6,000  in  the  time  of 
Christ.  (4)  Influence:  They  were  the  popular  party  be- 
cause they  were  orthodox,  anti-foreign  and  had  the  majority 
in  the  Sanhedrin.  (5)  Attitude  toward  the  0.  T.  Besides 
the  written  law  they  held  to  an  "oral  law"  which  was  a 
digest  of  Jewish  traditions.  Some  of  it  was  later  written 
down  and  was  called  the  Mishna  or  Second  Law,  contained 
now  in  the  first  part  of  the  Talmud.  At  Christ's  time  it 
was  esteemed  higher  than  the  written  law,  but  was  con- 
demned by  him  as  a  source  of  great  error.  (6)  Beliefs: 
They  believed  in  a  future  state,  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  in  a  Divine  providence  acting  side  by  side  with  the 
free  will  of  man.  (7)  Divisions.  In  the  time  of  Christ 
they  were  divided  doctrinally  into  several  schools,  among 
which  those  of  Hillel  (liberal)  and  Shamai  (conservative) 
are  most  noted.  (8)  Morals.  As  a  class  they  represented 
the  best  morality ;  many  were  ascetics.  Josephus  compares 
them  to  the  Stoics.  Some  individuals  were  good  men 
(Nicodemus,  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  Gamaliel,  Hillel,  Shamai 
and  St.  Paul).  Large  numbers  later  joined  the  Christian 
church.  (9)  Why  opposed  to  Christ:  i.  Because  of  his 
humble  origin  and  lack  of  higher  education  (Matt.  13:  55; 
Jno.  7:  15).  2.  Because  of  the  company  he  kept  (Lu.  15: 
2).  3.  Because  he  opposed  their  ceremonialism  and  their 
wrong  idea  of  the  Sabbath.  (10)  Reasons  for  Christ's  op- 
posing them:  Their  perversion  of  the  Messianic  ideal,  na- 
tional narrowness,  religious  formalism  and  self-righteous- 
ness. (11)  Influence  on  the  Apostolic  Church:  The 
Judaizers  who  insisted  on  circumcision  as  a  condition  of 
salvation  were  no  doubt  former  Pharisees  and  their  fol- 
lowers. (12)  Survival:  They  still  exist  as  a  party  among 
eastern  Jews  and  are  called  "Pharashim."  So  bad  is  their 
character  that  the  bitterest  form  of  reproach  in  Jerusalem 
is  "You  are  a  parish."     How  little  they  have  changed  from 


Life  of  Christ.  27 

their  character  as  Christ  depicted  it  may  be  seen  from  the 
testimony  of  a  Jewish  writer,  "They  proudly  separate 
themselves  from  the  rest  of  their  co-rehgionists,  fanatical, 
bigoted,  intolerant,  quarrelsome,  and  in  truth  irreligious. 
With  them  the  outward  observance  of  the  ceremonial  law 
is  everything ;  the  moral  law  is  little  binding,  morality  itself 
is  of  no  importance." 

31.  The  Sadducees  and  Essenes,  (i)  The  Sadducees 
derive  their  name  from  Zadoc,  the  priest  who  declared  in 
favor  of  Solomon  when  Abiathar  took  the  part  of  Adonijah 
(i  Kings  13:32-45),  or  from  the  Hebrew  word  "tsadik," 
righteous.  They  constituted  a  kind  of  sacerdotal  aristo- 
cracy, counting  among  their  adherents  the  families  of  the 
governing  class  under  Herod  (Acts  5  :  17).  The  Sadducees 
denied  the  leading  beliefs  of  the  Pharisees,  and  especially 
the  authority  of  the  oral  law,  the  resurrection,  future  pun- 
ishment and  reward.  They  disappear  from  history  after 
the  first  century  and  reappear  in  modern  times  under  the 
name  of  "Reform  Jews."  Christ  seldom  came  in  contact 
with  them.  (2)  The  Essenes  (probably  meaning  "seer"  or 
the  "silent,"  the  "mysterious")  were  an  ascetic  sect,  which 
aspired  to  ideal  purity  and  divine  communion.  They  were 
communists  living  in  isolated  settlements,  the  best  known 
of  which  was  on  the  northwest  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea. 
They  are  not  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  and  the 
probability  is  that  the  Lord  never  came  in  contact  with  any 
of  them.  Their  ceremonial  washings  and  the  reverence 
paid  to  the  sun,  point  to  Persian  influence,  while  their 
asceticism  and  the  community  of  goods  have  a  Pythagorian 
cast.     They  wore  white  garments. 

32.  Professions  and  Factions,  (i)  The  Scribes  were 
identical  with  the  "lawyers."  From  the  time  of  Jeremiah 
( Jer.  8:8;  Ezra  7 : 6)  they  were  copyists,  custodians  and 
interpreters  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures.  As  formal- 
ists, worshipping  the  mere  letter  of  the  law,  they  called 
forth  some  of  the  sharpest  rebukes  of  Jesus.  (Matt.  5:20; 
23:2,  3,  etc.).     As  a  class  they  belonged  to  the  Pharisaic 


28  Life  of  Christ. 

party.  (2)  The  Zealots  shared  the  sentiments  of  the  Phar- 
isees, but  they  were  a  party  of  action  who  insisted  on  war 
against  Rome.  Their  agitation  at  last  brought  on  the  great 
Jewish  war  (A.  D.  66-70),  with  its  terrible  result.  (3)  The 
Herodians  were  a  political  party  which  supported  the  house 
of  Herod  and  the  Romans.  (4)  The  Proselytes  were  Gen- 
tile worshippers  of  Jehovah.  The  inability  of  paganism  to 
satisfy  the  deeper  needs  of  humanity  had  long  been  felt  by 
the  more  thoughtful  among  the  heathen  themselves.  Large 
numbers  of  these  were  attracted  by  the  purer  faith  and 
higher  morality  of  the  Jews.  Their  number  in  Christ's 
time  is  estimated  as  high  as  700,000.  There  were  two 
clas.ses  of  them :  (a)  Proselytes  of  the  Gate,  which  may 
mean  that  they  went  as  far  as  to  the  gate  of  full  Judaism, 
which  is  circumcision,  or,  that  they  were  permitted  to  pro- 
ceed only  to  a  certain  gate  in  the  Temple  beyond  which  the 
uncircumcised  were  warned  not  to  proceed  under  penalty 
of  death.  They  bound  themselves  to  avoid  blasphemy, 
idolatry,  uncleanness,  theft,  etc.  They  are  also  called, 
"God-fearing  men."  Most  of  the  proselytes  belonged  to 
this  class.  (Cornelius),  (b)  Proselytes  of  Righteousness, 
those  who  fulfilled  all  righteousness,  that  is,  they  were  cir- 
cumcised, and  kept  the  law.  (5)  Great  Synagogue.  Nehe- 
miah  (436  B.  C.)  is  said  to  have  formed  what  is  called  the 
"Great  Synagogue,"  supposedly  composed  of  the  eighty- 
five  priests,  who  pledged  themselves  to  keep  the  law  (Neh. 
13:6-31).  Out  of  this  grew  a  national  organization,  hav- 
ing for  its  object  the  promotion  of  the  observance  of  the 
law.  To  this  body  is  ascribed  the  formation  of  the  Old 
Testament  Canon,  the  introduction  of  the  new  Hebrew 
alphabet,  the  vowel  points  and  accents,  and  the  rabbin- 
ical schools  for  studying  the  Scriptures  under  professional 
scribes.  (6)  Mission  of  the  Jeivs.  Belonging  to  the 
Semitic  race,  the  Jews  were  the  people  of  religion,  as  the 
Greeks  were  the  people  of  art,  and  the  Romans,  the  people 
of  law  and  order.  The  great  glory  and  mission  of  Israel 
was,  first,  to  perpetuate  the  knowledge  of  the  one  true  God 


Life  of  Christ.  29 

in  the  world,  and  second,  to  receive  and  spread  the  final 
revelation  in  Christ.  To  some  extent  they  fulfilled  this 
mission. 

33.  Sacred  Buildings,  (i)  The  Temple  in  Jerusalem. 
Three  temples  were  built  in  succession,  (a)  Solomon's 
Temple,  built  1000  B.  C.  and  after  standing  400  years,  de- 
stroyed by  Nebuchadnezzar,  (b)  The  second  Temple  was 
built  by  Zerubbabel  after  the  Captivity  upon  the  original 
foundation  and  plan,  though  much  inferior  to  the  first  Tem- 
ple, (c)  Herod  the  Great,  a  few  years  before  Christ, 
greatly  enlarged  and  enriched  the  second  Temple,  giving  it 


Dr.  Schick's  Model  of  the  Temple. 

his  own  name.  In  magnificence  it  exceeded  Solomon's  Tem- 
ple, but  it  lacked  its  chief  glory,  the  Arc  of  the  Covenant. 
It  was  destroyed  by  the  Romans,  70  A.  D.  (2)  The  loca- 
tion of  the  Temple  was  on  Mt.  Moriah,  where  Abraham  was 
willing  to  offer  up  Isaac.  (3)  The  materials  were  im- 
mense white  stones,  40  to  60  feet  long,  pillars  of  Parian 
marble  40  feet  in  length ;  woodwork  of  cedar,  fir  and  san- 
dalwood, exquisitely  carved  and  vast  quantities  of  gold,  sil- 
ver and  Corinthian  brass.  In  the  ceiling  of  the  Most  Holy 
Place  alone  thirty  tons  of  gold  were  used.  (4)  The  Courts. 
The  Temple  wall  bounded  the  quadrangle  and  was  enter- 


30 


Life  of  Christ. 


ed  by  seven  outer  gates.  Inside  were  three  quadrang- 
ular "Courts,"  rising  one  above  another,  separated  by  v^^alls 
of  partition,  and  encircled  by  marble  cloisters.     The  outer 

w^as,  "The  Court  of  Gen- 
tiles." Within  and  above 
this,  entered  through  nine 
gates,  60  feet  high,  over- 
laid with  gold  and  silver, 
was  the  "Court  of  Israel" 
for  the  Jews  only,  the  east- 
ern half  being  set  apart  as 
the  "Court  of  Women,"  the 
limit  of  approach  for  Jew- 
ish women.  On  a  higher 
terrace  was  the  "Court  of 
the  Priests."     The  Temple 

l\ :':{      Proper,     120     feet     long, 

i::: : :::::::::::::::::::: :^j^:: :: :::j      stood  on  a  yet  higher  level 

General    Plan     of     Temple    and  ^^  ^^^  western  end  of  the 

Courts  as  Rebuilt  by  Herod.  "Priests     Court"     opposite 

I.    Holy  of  Holies.      2.    Holy  the  Brazen  Altar.    Its  front 

Place.    3.  Temple  Porch.    4.  Great  was  a  porch  180  feet  high. 

Altar    of    Burnt    Oflferings.      5.  covered  with  gold  and  prec- 

Court  of  the  Priests.    6.  Court  of    •  .  t>  t.'    a  -i. 

,       ,  ^  ,    ,     ,, "  lous  stones.    Behmd  it  was 

Israel.     7.  Court  of  the  Women.     ,        ^-.   ,       _,, 
8.    Beautiful    Gate.      9.    Priests'   ^he    Holy    Place,  openmg 
Chambers.    10.  "Soreg"  or  Balus-   through  the  great  veil  into 
trade,  within  which  Gentiles  were    the  Holy  of  Holies.        (5) 
not  allowed  to  go.    11.  Court  of   Services.       20,ooo  priests, 
12.  Solomon's  Porch,    assisted  by  twice  as  many 
Levites,  in  24  courses,  each 
serving  one  week  in  turn, 
were  in  charge.     The  Levites  were  guards,  porters,  musi- 
cians,  etc.     Only  priests  could  sacrifice  or  burn  incense. 
Two  daily  public  services  were  held  at  9  a.  m.  and  3  p.  m. 
(6)  Temple  near  Heliopolis.     About  164  B.  C.  Onias,  fail- 
ing to  secure  the  Jerusalem  high-priesthood  went  to  Egypt 
and  transformed  an  old  pagan  temple  into  a  Jewish  Sanct- 


the  Gentiles. 

13.  Royal  Porch.     14.  Entrance  to 

Castle  of  Antonia. 


Life  of  Christ.  31- 

uary  in  which  services  were  held,  until  the  Romans  closed 
it  in  73  A.  D.  While  many  Jews  looked  with  disfavor  on 
this  movement,  it  marks  a  distinct  stage  in  the  liberalizing 
of  Jewish  religious  thought,  especially  among  the  Hellenists. 

34.  The  Synagogue,  (i)  Origin.  During  the  Cap- 
tivity where  no  Temple  Service  was  possible.  (2)  Univer- 
sality. Wherever  ten  heads  of  families  could  be  found, 
there  a  Synagogue  would  be  established,  in  and  outside  of 
Palestine.  (Diaspora.)  In  Jerusalem  were  460,  and  every 
nationality  had  its  own  (Acts  6:9).  (3)  Arrangement: 
It  contained  (a)  An  "arc" — a  chest  for  the  sacred  rolls, 
placed  in  the  end  of  the  building  toward  Jerusalem,  (b) 
Chief  Seats,  elevated,  near  and  around  the  arc  for  the  elders 
and  leading  men.  (c)  Platform  and  reading  desk,  (d) 
Places  carefully  graded  according  to  rank.  Gentile  visitors 
were  allowed  near  the  door,  (e)  Lattice  gallery  where 
women  could  worship  without  being  seen.  (4)  Officers: 
(a)  3  rulers  of  the  Synagogue  (one  of  whom  was  the 
ruler)  who  conducted  the  worship  and  possessed  limited 
judicial  authority,  (b)  The  servant,  (Luke  4:20)  who 
united  the  functions  of  sexton,  schoolmaster  and  constable, 
to  pass  judgment  on  offenders.  (5)  Services:  Held  on 
Saturday,  Monday  and  Thursday.  They  consisted  of  pray- 
er, reading  and  remarks.  The  selections  were  from  the 
Law  and  the  Prophets,  according  to  an  appointed  order 
(Acts  15:21),  called  Parashim  and  Haphtharim,  like  our 
church  pericopes. 

35.  The  Sacred  Year.  The  Jews  of  Christ's  time  ob- 
served seven  solemnites,  six  of  them  feasts,  and  one  a  fast ; 
only  the  first  five  were  appointed  by  the  Law  of  Moses.  The 
six  feasts  may  be  divided  into  two  groups :  (a)  the  three 
great  feasts  (Passover,  Pentecost  and  Tabernacle),  and  (b) 
the  three  lesser  feasts  (Trumpets,  Dedication,  Purim). 
Trumpets  and  Purim  are  not  mentioned  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment.    Their  order  in  the  Jewish  calendar  is  as  follows : 


32 

Life  of  Christ. 

Name. 

Time. 

Event  Commemorated. 

Passover 

14  Nisan — April 

Exodus. 

Pentecost 

Sivan — May 

Harvest  Home  and  Giv- 
ing of  the  Law. 

Trumpets 

I  Tizri — September 

New  Year. 

Atonement 

10  Tizri — October 

Repentance. 

Tabernacles 

1  15  Tizri — October 

Life  in  the  Desert. 

Dedication 

Chisleu — December  25 

;  Rededication  of  the 
Temple. 

Purim 

14  Adar — March 

Plot  of  Haman. 

36.  The  Religion  of  the  Samaritans.  This  people  was 
a  mixed  race  which  sprang  up  in  Northern  Israel  after  the 
fall  of  the  Kingdom  of  Israel,  in  B.  C.  722,  as  a  result  of 
the  intermarriage  of  the  heathen  Assyrian  colonists  (11 
Kings  17:24-41)  with  the  remnants  of  the  Israelites  left 
in  the  land.  On  account  of  this  impurity  of  their  descent 
and  because  of  their  opposition  to  the  rebuilding  of  the 
Temple  after  the  Captivity  (Ezra,  Chap.  4),  they  were  hated 
by  the  Jews  (John  4:9).  There  still  remain  between  one 
and  two  hundred  who  live  in  Nablus,  near  the  site  of 
ancient  Shechem.  Under  the  teaching  of  a  Jewish  priest, 
sent  by  the  King  of  Assyria,  they  gradually  adopted  a  sort 
of  Jehovah  worship  (II  Kings  17:25).  Of  the  Jewish 
canon  they  accepted  only  the  Pentateuch.  They  observed 
the  Passover  and  still  do  so.  They  expected  the  Messiah, 
not  as  a  king,  but  to  teach  them  all  things.  (Deut.  18:  15; 
John  4:25). 

37.  Pagan  Religions.  Religion  with  the  Romans  was 
more  a  matter  of  form  and  ritualism  than  of  feeling.  A 
Pontifex  Maximus  at  the  head  of  minor  pontiffs  supervised 
all  the  religious  affairs  of  the  state.  The  Augurs  were  the 
official  soothsayers,  who  by  observing  the  flight  of  birds,  de- 
termined the  minds  of  the  gods.  At  the  time  of  Christ,  dis- 
belief in  the  current  religion  had  become  almost  universal 
among  the  educated  classes.  Augustus  strove  in  vain  to 
restore  religion  to  its  former  position,  and  even  assumed 


Life  of  Christ.  33 

personally  the  office  of  Pontifex  Maximus.  The  practice 
of  deifying  and  worshipping  the  emperors  exerted  a  most 
degrading  influence  on  the  religious  life.  Many  Romans, 
to  satisfy  their  religious  cravings,  embraced  Judaism,  others 
were  imposed  upon  by  Oriental  priests,  sorcerers,  sooth-say- 
ers  and  astrologers,  like  Apollonius  of  Tyana  (3  B.  C.  to  96 
A.  D.).  The  upper  classes  treated  current  mythology  as 
fables,  but  were  the  ready  dupes  of  every  quack,  and  foreign 
cult.  Harlots,  like  Poppaea,  Nero's  wife,  were  deified, 
and  sacrifices  were  offered  for  the  preservation  of  Nero's 
"divine  voice."  There  were  a  few  who  lived  nobler  lives  like 
Seneca,  Epictet,  but  their  Stoicism  was  no  remedy  for  the 
ills  of  the  times. 

38.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Excursus  5  on  Talmud  and 
Oral  Law ;  Exc.  14  on  Phar.  and  Sad.,  Exc.  7  on  Angels  and 
Demons;  Exc.  9,  Hypocrisy  of  the  Phar.  Consult  D.  of  B.  espec- 
ially, Hastings  D.  of  C.  on  Feasts  I,  584;  Herodians  I,  723;  Mes- 
siah n,  171;  Tradition  H,  741;  Samaritans  H,  557;  Hastings  D. 
of  B.,  Vol.  HI,  352,  on  Messiah;  On  the  Essenes  I,  767;  on  the 
bright  side  of  Judaism  H,  606.  D.  Smith's  New  Testament  History, 
164,  on  the  sects  of  the  Jews ;  In  "Quo  Vadis,"  ch.  13,  the  fake 
philosopher  Chilon ;  Newman's  Church  History,  Vol.  I,  p.  47,  on 
Jewish  sects ;  p.  36  on  Persian  Influence ;  p.  62  on  Messianic  Ex- 
pectations ;  Matthews  History  of  N.  T.  Times,  Messianic  Hope,  p. 
159;  Rigg's  History  of  Jewish  People,  pp.  105  and  215;  Parties  and 
Inner  Life;  Grant,  Between  the  Testaments,  p.  109,  on  Hterature; 
Breed,  Preparation,  Chaps.  12  and  15;  Thompson,  Books  Which 
Influenced  our  Lord ;  Briggs,  Messiah  and  the  Gospels,  pp.  i  to 
40;  Sellin,  Die  Israelitische  Heilandserwartung;  Caspari,  Die  Phari- 
saer  (In  "Biblische  Zeitfragen")  ;  Uhlhorn,  Conflict,  (on  Religious 
Life)  ;  Orelli,  Knecht  Jahves ;  G.  B.  Smith,  Modern  Criticism  and 
the  Preaching  of  the  O.  T.,  Ch.  5;  Kurtz's  Church  History,  Vol.  I, 
1l7  to  Tfi2. 


34  -^^/^  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  5. 

The  Moral  and  Social  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived. 

39.  The  moral  degradation  of  the  period  when  Christ 
lived,  has  rarely  been  equalled  and  perhaps  never  ex- 
ceeded in  the  annals  of  mankind.  It  may  be  judged  from 
the  following  facts:  (i)  Paul's  lurid  picture  of  pagan 
wickedness  in  Rom.  i :  18-32,  which  should  not  be  regarded 
as  a  judgment  from  too  lofty  a  moral  standpoint,  for  all  that 
he  says  is  confirmed  by  pagan  authors.  (2)  The  excavated 
objects  of  Pompeii  give  us  a  faint  glimpse  of  the  horrible  na- 
ture of  the  vice  and  crime  at  this  period  as  a  testimony  to  the 
fruit  of  heathenism.  (3)  The  bare  mention  of  the  names 
of  the  emperors  condemns  a  people  which  made  them  possi- 
ble. (4)  The  enormous  wealth  and  coarse  luxury,  created 
a  sense  of  insecurity  and  terror.  (5)  Labor  was  consid- 
ered a  disgrace,  and  the  middle  class  had  disappeared. 
Among  the  1,200,000  inhabitants  of  Rome  at  Christ's  time 
(Cic.  De  Off.  II,  12),  there  were  scarcely  2,000  proprietors. 

(6)  The  number  of  slaves  increased  with  Roman  conquests. 
In  Italy  there  were  1,300,000,  and  in  the  whole  empire,  6,- 
000,000.  They  were  harshly  treated,  sometimes  thrown 
into  ponds  to  sweeten  the  meat  of  the  fishes.  A  law  was 
advocated  that  when  a  master  was  murdered  all  his  slaves 
as  being  considered  under  suspicion  should  be  put  to  death, 

(7)  Luxury  passed  all  bounds  and  was  too  horrible 
for  description.  Among  the  rich,  the  disgusting  practice 
was  in  vogue  to  prepare  for  dinner  by  taking  an  emetic. 
Emperor  Vitellius,  in  less  than  eight  months,  spent  on 
feasts,  several  millions.  Games  on  the  most  lavish  scale 
continued  for  weeks  and  months.  (8)  The  very  rites  of 
religion  were  used  to  satisfy  unnatural  lust.  (9)  Family 
life  among  the  Romans  had  once  been  a  sacred  thing,  and 
for  520  years  divorce  had  been  unknown.  But  under  the 
Empire  marriage  was  regarded  with  disfavor.  Women, 
says  Seneca,  married  in  order  to  be  divorced  and  were  di- 


Life  of  Christ.  3g 

vorced  in  order  to  marry.  They  counted  the  years,  not 
by  the  Consuls,  but  by  the  number  of  their  divorces.  (lo) 
Children  were  regarded  as  a  burden,  and  their  education 
handed  over  to  slaves.  The  exposure  of  infants  and  the 
practice  of  abortions  was  the  general  custom,  (ii)  Taci- 
tus wrote  his  "Germania"  as  a  "tendency  book,"  intended 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  up  before  his  educated,  but  de- 
moralized countrymen  a  people,  uncivilized  but  possessing 
great  virtues.  In  it  he  says  of  Rome :  "Corrumpere  et 
corrumpi  saeculum  est"  (to  corrupt  and  be  corrupt  is  the 
spirit  of  the  times). 

40.  Preparation.  The  preceding  sketch  of  the  world  in 
which  Christ  lived  emphasizes:  i.  The  fivefold  prepara- 
tion for  His  coming:  (a)  Universal  Empire.  The  whole 
civilized  world  was  welded  into  an  organic  whole  in  which 
law  and  order  was  enforced  and  through  which  excellent 
roads  were  constructed.  By  the  extension  of  Roman  citi- 
zenship throughout  the  Provinces,  life  was  protected,  (b) 
Universal  language:  the  Greek,  (c)  Universal  peace,  (d) 
Universal  need,  and  (e)  Universal  expectation.  2.  It  also 
emphasizes  the  superiority  of  Christ  and  his  gospel  over  the 
culture  and  religion  of  the  old  world,  for  history  shows  that 
he  gloriously  succeeded  in  overcoming  the  political,  intel- 
lectual, moral  and  religious  errors  of  the  world,  and  in  ap- 
propriating and  spiritualizing  the  better  elements  of  ancient 
civilization.  Thus  has  been  confirmed  Christ's  saying:  "Be 
of  good  cheer,  I  have  overcome  the  world,"  and  the  words 
of  John,  "Our  faith  is  the  victory  which  hath  overcome  the 
world"  (I  Jno.  5:4). 

41.  Reference  Literature.  Consult  Diet,  and  Encycl.  by  Hast- 
ings, Davis,  Piercy,  Herzog,  Schaff-Herzog,  Sanford  on  the  various 
topics.  Also  Breed,  Preparation,  Chaps.  11,  13  and  14;  Description 
of  a  Roman  Banquet,  in  "Quo  Vadis"  I,  Chap  7.  For  a  fine  de- 
scription of  pagan  degradation  with  references  to  Roman  authors, 
see  Farrar,  "Early  Days  of  Christianity,"  Chap,  i;  also  2,  3  and  4; 
Lecky,  History  of  European  Morals ;  Uhlhorn,  Conflict  of  Chris- 
tianity with  Heathenism,  p.  15  and  Ch.  11,  on  Moral  Conditions; 
Friedlander,  Roman  Society  (the  2nd  Chapt.  on  "Luxury"). 


36  "  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  6. 

Sources  of  our  Knowledge  of  Jesus. 

42.  Pagan  and  Jewish  Sources.  We  have  pagan,  Jew- 
ish and  Christian  sources  for  our  knowledge  of  the  Life  of 
Christ.  Of  these,  the  first  two,  as  well  as  the  Christian 
Apocrypha,  are  either  very  meagre,  or  very  unreliable. 
C)nly  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  are  of  decisive  im- 
portance. The  pagan  sources  are  as  follows:  (i)  The 
Roman  historian  Tacitus,  in  his  Annals,  Chap.  XV,  44, 
writes  that  the  Christians  "derived  their  name  and  origin 
from  one  Christ,  who  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius  had  suffered 
death  by  the  sentence  of  the  procurator,  Pontius  Pilate." 
(2)  Suetonius,  in  his  "Vita  Claudii,"  c.  25,  says  that  Em- 
peror Claudius  expelled  the  Jews  from  Rome  "because  ot 
constant  tumults  under  the  leadership  of  Chrestus,"  which 
is  generally  taken  as  a  reference  to  Christ,  concerning 
whose  ]\Iessiahship  heated  controversies  arose  in  the  Roman 
Synagogue.  (3)  The  younger  Pliny,  in  his  "Epistles"  X. 
96,  speaks  of  the  Christians  in  Bithynia  as  followers  of  one 
Christ  who  "bind  themselves  v/ith  an  oath  not  to  enter  into 
any  wickedness,  or  commit  thefts,  robberies,  or  adulteries,  or 
falsify  their  word,  or  repudiate  trusts  committed  to  them." 

Jewish  Sources,  (i)  Josephus  has  very  little  to  say. 
When  speaking  of  the  martyrdom  of  James,  he  calls  him 
"the  brother  of  Jesus  who  is  called  the  Christ"  (Ant.  XX, 
9,  i).  This  is  surprising,  the  more  so,  as  he  has  in  Ant. 
18,  5,  2  a  very  appreciative  notice  of  John  the  Baptist.  His 
reticence  is  usually  explained  by  saying  that  he  really  ap- 
proved of  Jesus'  life  and  teaching,  but  was  too  cowardly  to 
say  so.  The  famous  passage  in  Jos.  Ant.  18,  3,  3  is  an 
interpolation.  It  reads,  "At  this  time  (Pilate's)  appeared 
(a  certain)  Jesus,  a  wise  man,  if  indeed  he  may  be  called 
a  man ;  for  he  was  a  worker  of  miracles,  a  teacher  of  such 
men  as  receive  the  truth  with  joy  and  he  drew  to  himself 
many  Jews,  and  many  also  of  the  Hellenes.     This  was  the 


Life  of  Christ.  37 

Christ,  and  when  at  the  instigation  of  our  chief  men,  Pi- 
late condemned  him  to  the  cross,  those  who  at  first  loved 
him,  did  not  fall  away,  for  he  appeared  to  them  alive  again 
on  the  third  day,  according  as  the  holy  Prophets  had  de- 
clared thus,  and  a  thousand  other  wonderful  things  of  him. 
To  this  day  the  sect  of  Christians  called  after  him,  still 
exist."  No  one  but  a  Christian  could  have  written  thus. 
(2)  Indirectly  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament  literature, 
the  Old  Testament  Apocrypha,  the  Apocalyptic  books,  and 
the  Talmud  contain  valuable  material,  especially  for  our 
knowledge  of  the  teaching  of  Christ.  (3)  The  Talmud 
contains  many  notices  of  the  parents  and  teachers  of  Christ 
but  these  are  intentional,  malicious  slanders,  and  not 
sources. 

43.  Christian  Sources.  ( i )  Outside  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment: (a)  The  Apocryphal  Gospels  contain  chiefly  legends 
connected  with  the  birth  and  early  days  of  Jesus,  and  with 
his  death  and  resurrection.  Most  of  them  are  crude  and 
childish  tales.  Harnack  has  constructed  a  list  of  sixteen 
such  gospels,  the  most  important  of  which  are :  the  Gospel 
of  the  Hebrews,  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  of  Peter,  of 
Thomas,  of  Matthias,  of  Philip,  of  Eve,  of  the  Infancy,  the 
Acts  of  Pilate,  the  Protevangelium  of  James,  and  of  Mar- 
cion.  (b)  The  Agrapha,  i.  e.  sayings  attributed  to  Christ 
and  other  information,  not  found  in  our  gospels,  but  scat- 
tered through  the  writings  of  the  post-apostolic  age.  They 
add  but  little  to  our  knowledge  of  the  life  of  Christ.  Justin 
Martyr  gives  the  descent  of  Mary  from  David,  and  depicts 
the  outward  appearance  of  Jesus.  Clement  of  Alexandria 
gives  the  names  of  the  seventy  disciples ;  Clement  of  Rome 
says  the  excitement  produced  by  Jesus  reached  as  far  as 
Rome.  As  sayings  of  Jesus  are  reported,  "Be  ye  good 
moneychangers."  (Clem.  Homilies)  and,  "Wherein  I  seize 
you,  therein  I  judge  you."  (2)  Within  the  New  Testa- 
ment: (a)  Paul's  Epistles  are  the  earliest  existing  records 
of  the  events  in  the  life  of  Christ :  e.  g.  On  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per and  on  Christ's  death,  burial,  resurrection  and  appear- 


38  Life  of  Christ. 

ance,  (I  Cor.  11:24:  15:3-8,  written  in  57);  his  descent 
from  Abraham  and  David,  his  life  of  obedience  (Rom.  i : 
3;  9:5;  5:19;  15:3-  written  in  58);  his  humility  (Phil. 
2 :  5-1 1,  written  in  63)  ;  his  poverty  (II  Cor.  8:  9,  written  in 
57).  In  Acts  20:  35,  Paul  quotes  as  a  saying  of  Christ  "It 
is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive."  (b)  Hebrews  2: 
17;  4:  15;  5:  17  speaks  of  Christ's  sufferings  and  the  agony 
in  Gethsemane.  (c)  Peter  2:21,  of  Christ's  sinlessness, 
and  II  Peter  i :  16  of  the  Transfiguration.  But  these  may 
be  references  to  our  Gospels,  as  most  of  the  similar  pas- 
sages in  Acts,  (d)  Interpolations  in  the  New  Testament. 
John  7:53,  to  8:11,  the  story  of  the  Woman  taken  in 
adultery ;  John  5 : 4,  the  angel  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda ; 
Matt.  6:11,  the  doxology  to  the  Lord's  Prayer;  Mark  16: 
9-16  on  the  Resurrection.  The  first  two  may  rest  on  a 
trustworthy  tradition. 

44.  The  Four  Gospels,  by  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and 
John,  are  our  principal  sources  of  information,  (i)  Mat- 
thew, also  known  as  Levi,  the  son  of  Alphaeus,  a  tax  col- 
lector at  Capernaum,  called  by  Jesus  from  his  work.  He 
obeyed  and  made  a  feast  in  honor  of  Jesus  to  which  he  in- 
vited his  fellow  publicans.  Nothing  else  is  recorded  of 
him  in  the  gospels.  Tradition  says  that  he  worked  for  fif- 
teen years  in  Judea  and  afterwards  in  Parthia  and  Ethiopia. 
(2)  'His  hook.  Matthew  seems  to  have  written  two  books : 
(a)  The  Logia,  a  collection  of  sayings  of  our  Lord,  but 
containing  no  historical  narratives,  written  in  Aramaic.  This 
is  lost  to  us.  (b)  Our  Gospel,  which  is  not  a  mere  transla- 
tion of  the  Logia,  but  a  work  originally  composed  in  Greek 
by  Matthew  or  an  assistant,  into  which  all,  or  the  larger 
part  of  the  Logia  was  interwoven,  (3)  Among  the  original 
readers  were  Greek-speaking  Jews,  for  he  finds  it  necessary 
to  interpret  Hebrew  words  like  "Immanuel"  (1:23), 
"Golgotha"  (27:33),  and  Christ's  Prayer  (27:46).  (4) 
Date  and  Place.  It  was  written  a  little  before  A.  D.  70, 
for  there  is  no  indication  in  it  that  Jerusalem  had  been  de- 
stroyed, but  rather  an  allusion  to  the  approach  of  the  crisis. 


Life  of  Christ.  39 

("Let  him  that  readeth  understand"  Matt.  24).  It  was 
written  in  Palestine,  city  unknown.  (5)  Characteristics. 
(a)  More  Hebraistic  than  the  others  in  following  Hebrew 
idioms  ("Kingdom  of  Heaven"  from  the  Jewish  reluctance 
to  use  the  name  of  God)  ;  Old  T.  quotations  not  found  in  the 
parallel  gospels  are  made  from  the  Hebrew  and  not  from 
the  LXX;  (b)  his  standpoint  and  atmosphere  is  Jewish,  he 
commences  the  genealogy  with  Abraham,  frequently  quotes 
O.  T.  prophesies  which  he  sees  fulfilled  in  Christ,  (c)  But 
he  is  no  opponent  of  the  Gentiles,  for  he  alone  records  the 
visit  of  the  Magi,  and  the  Great  Commission. 

45.  Mark's  Gospel,  (i)  Author:  John  Mark,  prob- 
ably the  son  of  the  man  with  the  pitcher  (Mark  14:  13)  and 
Mary,  in  whose  house  the  Jerusalem  church  met,  (Acts  12 . 
12).  He  probably  is  the  young  man  in  Gethsemane  (Mark 
14:51,  52)  ;  he  was  a  nephew  of  Barnabas,  (Col.  4:  10), 
with  whom  he  came  from  Jerusalem  to  Antioch,  the  helper 
on  Paul's  first  missionary  journey,  later  again  with  Paul, 
(Col.  4:10,  Philemon  24),  and  with  Peter  (I  Pet.  5:13 
"My  son").  (2)  The  hook:  Mark  received  his  material 
from  Peter  whom  he  accompanied  to  Rome  as  "interpreter," 
translating  Peter's  Aramaic  sermons  into  Greek.  Later  he 
"wrote  down  accurately  everything  that  he  remembered." 
(From  "The  Elder"  quoted  by  Papias),  Justin  Martyr 
therefore  calls  Mark's  gospel,  "Memoirs  of  Peter."  (3) 
Date  and  place  of  ivriting:  Before  65  in  Rome  i.  e.  after 
Peter's  death  and  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  The 
reason  for  this  date,  the  same  as  in  Matthew.  (4)  The 
original  readers  were  Gentiles,  probably  Romans.  (5) 
Characteristics:  Graphic,  concrete,  animated,  emphasizing 
powerful  deeds  of  Jesus  which  would  appeal  to  the  Romans. 

46.  Luke's  Gospel.  (i)  Author:  The  only  Gentile 
among  the  Biblical  writers  (Col.  4:  14  omits  him  from  the 
list  of  "those  of  the  circumcision"),  probably  a  Greek  from 
Antioch,  a  physician  (Col.  4:  14),  and,  according  to  an  old 
tradition,  a  painter;  a  co-worker  of  Paul  (Philemon  24), 
and  during  Paul's  second  imprisonment  the  only  faithful 


40  Life  of  Christ. 

attendant  (II  Tim.  4:11).  The  ''we"  sections  in  Acts 
show  that  he  was  with  Paul  from  Troas  to  Philippi  (Acts 
16:  16-17).  He  remains  at  Philippi  and  after  six  years  ac- 
companies Paul  to  Jerusalem  (20 15  to  21-18),  and  on  the 
voyage  to  Rome  (Acts  27  and  28).  (2)  The  Book.  In  a 
preface,  (i :  1-5)  he  states  its  object  and  his  method.  He 
desires  to  confirm  the  faith  of  a  "Theophilus,"  and  as  none 
of  the  existing  gospels  suited  him,  he  writes  one  himself. 
His  method  is  very  thorough:  (a)  He  collects  documents, 
(b)  examines  eye-witnesses,  (c)  employs  critical  canons  in 
sifting  the  material,  and  (d)  aims  at  writing  a  complete 
biography,  in  distinction  from  the  fragments  before  him. 
(3)  Date  and  Place.  About  75,  probably  at  Philippi,  that  is, 
after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  for,  in  place  of  the  gen- 
eral language  in  Matthew  and  Mark,  Luke  21 :  20  and  24 
gives  a  clear  description  of  the  siege  and  its  issue,  and  while 
in  Matthew  and  Mark  the  final  judgment  is  closely  assoc- 
iated with  the  doom  of  Jerusalem,  in  Luke  it  is  distin- 
guished from  the  local  event,  and  an  interval  is  placed  be- 
tween the  two  (22:24).  (4)  Characteristics,  (a)  Better 
Greek  style  except  in  the  "Hymns"  in  Chapter  i  and  2, 
which  are  thoroughly  Hebraistic  and  point  to  a  Hebrew 
document;  (b)  the  longest  account  of  the  infancy  probably 
derived  from  the  Virgin  and  others;  (c)  A  long  account 
(Ch.  9-19)  of  the  Perean  period  not  found  in  the  other  gos- 
pels; (d)  without  bias  he  illustrates  Paul's  teaching  of  the 
universality  of  the  Gospel. 

47.  Synoptic  Problem.  ( i )  The  first  three  Gospels  are 
called  Synoptists  (syn-opsis,  i.  e.  a  common  view)  because 
they  view  the  life  of  Christ  from  a  comon  standpoint,  in 
contrast  to  John's  altogether  different  treatment.  (2)  The 
problem  is  to  find  a  theory  which  will  account  for  the  re- 
semblances and  differences  in  those  gospels.  (3)  Resem- 
blances are,  (a)  a  common  plan  (infancy, —  the  forerunner, 
baptism  and  temptation — ministry  in  Galilee — passion)  ; 
(b)  a  common  selection  of  incidents.  Of  88  incidents,  they 
have  71  in  common,  and  only  17  exclusive  (Matt.  5,  Marie 


Life  of  Christ.  41 

3,  Luke  9)  ;  (c)  similar  groups  of  scenes  (death  of  John 
is  introduced  parenthetically  by  all  three  to  explain  Herod's 
terror),  (d)  Verbal  agreements,  not  only  in  sayings  of 
Jesus,  which  might  be  due  to  tradition,  but  also  in  narrative 
passages.  (4)  Differences:  (a)  Accounts  of  different 
events — about  17;  (b)  differences  in  several  accounts  of 
the  same  events  (order  of  temptations  in  Matt,  and  Luke, 
blind  men  at  Jericho),  (c)  Verbal  differences.  (5)  Pro- 
posed Solutions:  (a)  Theory  of  oral  tradition.  The  rabbi- 
nical method  of  teaching,  by  constant  repetition  of  the  same 
forms,  had  fixed  these  forms  so  thoroughly  in  the  minds  of 
the  early  disciples,  that  when  later  they  began  to  write  their 
gospels  independently  each  one  naturally  used  these  stereo- 
typed phrases,  (b)  Theory  of  original  documents.  All 
three  synoptists  had  access  to  older  documents,  such  as  re- 
ferred to  in  Luke  1:1-5.  Two  are  usually  mentioned: 
Matthew's  Logia,  containing  sayings  of  Christ,  and  a  "Prim- 
itive Mark,"  (Ur-Markus),  still  simpler  than  our  Mark,  for 
the  narrative.  Besides  these  each  had  a  few  independent 
sources,  as  e.  g.  for  the  infancy,  the  Perean  period  and  the 
resurrection,  (c)  Theory  of  mutual  dependence.  Mat- 
thew's Gospel  is  based  on  the  latter  process :  Mark  ab- 
breviated Matthew  and  Luke  used  both.  The  order  may 
be  also  reversed,  (d)  The  second  theory  of  the  two  orig- 
inal documents  is  the  one  generally  accepted  at  present  as 
furnishing  the  most  scientific  answer  to  the  question :  How 
did  our  present  first  three  gospels  originate  ? 

48.  John's  Gospel.  (i)  Author:  John,  the  son  of 
Zebedee  and  Salome,  brother  of  James  the  elder,  called  by 
Jesus  at  the  Jordan  after  the  temptation.  Later  banished 
to  Patmos,  dies  at  Ephesus  about  100.  Author  of  five  New 
Testament  books.  (2)  Date  and  place:  Between  85  to  90, 
at  Ephesus.  (3)  Characteristics:  Clement  of  Alexandria 
called  it  the  Spiritual  Gospel  (and  the  Synoptists,  the 
"Bodily  Gospels"),  because  it  is  more  doctrinal  and  theo- 
logical. (4)  Authenticity.  (a)  External  evidence:  As 
early  as  125,  verses  from  this  gospel  are  quoted  by  Basilides, 


42  Life  of  Christ. 

although  he  does  not  mention  the  author.  The  first  one 
to  mention  John  as  the  author  is  Theophilus  of  Antioch  in 
170.  (b)  Internal  evidence:  The  gospel  shows,  (i)  that 
it  was  written  by  a  Jew  (not  a  Gentile  Gnostic),  for  he 
quotes  the  O.  T.  from  LXX  and  the  Hebrew,  and  his  style 
and  spirit  is  Hebraistic;  (2)  A  Palestinian,  for  he  is  fami- 
liar with  the  minute  topography  (Cana,  Jacob's  Well,  places 
in  Jerusalem).  (3)  A  contemporary  with  the  events  de- 
scribed. He  knows  that  the  Samaritans  expect  the  Messiah. 
He  makes  no  reference  to  Gnosticism  of  the  2nd  century. 
(4)  He  was  an  eye-witness.  Three  times  he  claims  this : 
1 :  14;  19:  35 ;  21 :  24.  The  vivid  details  of  the  gospel  sug- 
gest the  same.  (5)  Objections:  (a)  Inconsistency  with 
the  character  of  John.  In  the  synoptists  he  is  a  "Son  of 
Thunder,"  passionate,  but  in  John  he  is  "the  beloved  dis- 
ciple." Answer:  Cannot  both  go  together?  (b)  Incon- 
sistency with  the  book  of  Revelation  in  style,  tone  and 
teaching.  The  Gospel  is  in  good  Greek,  but  Revelation 
is  faulty ;  gospel  is  liberal.  Revelation,  narrow.  An- 
swer: Revelation  was  written  before  John  came  to  Ephe- 
sus  and  the  gospel  in  his  riper  old  age,  when  his  lan- 
guage, views  and  experience  had  undergone  changes ;  (c) 
Inconsistency  with  the  Synoptists.  The  Synoptists  speak 
mostly  of  Christ's  work  in  Galilee,  John  of  that  in  Judea; 
the  Synoptists  give  one  year,  as  the  duration  of  Christ's 
ministry,  but  John  three.  Answer:  Luke  13:34  shows 
that  even  the  Synoptists  indicate  more  than  one  pass- 
over  and  one  visit  to  Jerusalem.  (6)  Solution,  (a)  There 
is  indeed  a  difference  between  John  and  the  Synoptists. 
The  books  of  the  latter  are  more  objective  chronicles,  while 
in  the  fourth  gospel  the  teaching  of  Christ  went  through 
the  crucible  of  John's  personality,  and  is  a  reproduction  of 
Christ's  life  and  teaching  in  John's  own  language  and 
thought.  Hence  the  similarities  of  the  sayings  of  Christ, 
and  the  Baptist's  to  John's,  (b)  John's  Gospel  is  avowedly 
an  argument  (20:  30,  31).  Its  selection  of  material  is  con- 
fessedly partial,  its  aim  being  to  confirm  the  faith  of  the 


Life  of  Christ.  43 

Christians.  Many  of  the  best  histories  are  written  from 
this  standpoint  (Sallust).  (7)  The  differences  of  the  gos- 
pels speak  for  their  genuineness,  for  all  four  exhibit  that 
agreement  in  substance  combined  with  difference  in  detail 
that  usually  marks  the  accounts  of  witnesses  to  the  same 
event. 

49.  Reference  Literature.  Keim,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  on  the 
Agrapha  I,  pp.  34  to  40;  Bennet  &  Adeney,  Biblical  Introduction, 
pp.  277  to  340;  Rhees,  Life  of  Christ,  pp.  21  to  44;  Hast.  D.  of 
Jesus,  Apocryphal  Gospels  I,  671,  and  the  articles  on  "Gospel"  I, 
659,  and  the  different  gospels ;  Burton,  Short  Introduction  to  the 
Gospel;  The  Earliest  Sources  for  the  Life  of  Jesus,  by  F.  W.  C. 
Burkitt;  Farrar,  Messages  of  the  Book.  Also  the  N.  T.  Introduc- 
tions by  Dodd,  Bacon  and  Reake.  And  the  masterful  standard 
works  by  Theodore  Zahn,  3  Vol.  and  Godet,  2  Vols.,  and  Weiss, 
2  Vols.;  Chamberlain,  Aussprueche  Jesu,  160;  Beyschlag,  Leben 
Jesu  I,  pp.  59-72;  Gilbert,  Life  of  Jesus,  74-78;  Knowling,  Witness 
of  the  Epistles;  On  Agrapha  see  Seeberg,  Worte  Jesu  (in  Chris- 
toterpe  1906)  ;  Pope's  Die  Sprueche  Jesu ;  Uckley,  Worte  Jesu, 
die  nicht  in  der  Bibel  stehen ;  Grenfelt  and  Hunt,  Sayings  of  Jesus ; 
Resch,  Agrapha.  On  lost  and  uncanonical  gospels,  see  Salmon's 
Introduction,  175  and  580.  For  the  text  of  the  Apocryphal  Gospels, 
see  "Apocryphal  New  Testament;"  Ante-Nicene  Fathers  VIII,  361- 
476;  Ferris,  Formation  of  the  N.  T. ;  Ebrard,  The  Gospel  History, 
p.  532;  Farrar,  Exc.  II,  O.  T.  Quotations,  II,  Talmud  on  Christ; 
Exc.  15  Traditional  Sayings  of  Christ;  Zoeckler,  Handbuch  der 
Theologischen   Wissenschaften   I,   382. 

CHAPTER  7. 
The  Chronology  of  the  Life  of  Christ. 

50.  The  whole  life  of  our  Lord  may  be  divided  into 
three  great,  but  in  point  of  time  very  unequal,  periods :  ( i ) 
his  pre-existence  from  all  eternity  to  his  incarnation;  (2) 
his  incarnate  life  upon  earth,  33  years;  (3)  his  life  as  the 
God-man  in  glory.  (2)  The  earthly  life  of  Christ,  which 
alone  can  be  treated  historically,  may  be  divided  as  follows : 

I.  The  Thirty  Years  of  Preparation,  Dec.  25  B.  C.  5- 
Jan.,  A.  D.  27. 


44  ^'/^  ()f  Christ. 

II.  The  Three  and  One-half  Years  of  Public  Ministry, 
Jan.,  A.  D.  27-Apnl  A.  D.  30. 

(i)  The  Year  of  Obsairity,  Jan. -Dec,  A.  D.  27.  So 
called  (a)  because  little  of  it  is  recorded  in  the  gospels. 
The  Synoptists  are  almost  silent,  and  even  John  disposes  of 
at  least  six  months  in  two  verses  (Jno.  3:22;  4:3);  (b) 
because  during  it  Jesus  emerged  only  slowly  into  public 
notice.     This  period  may  be  subdivided  into : 

(a)  The  Opening  Events  of  Christ's  Ministry,  Jan.- 
April,  A.  D.  27. 

(b)  The  Early  Judean  Ministry,  April-Dec,  A.  D.  27. 

(2)  The  Year  of  Popularity,  Dec,  A.  D.  27-April,  A.  D. 
29.  So  called,  because  during  it  Christ  became  known  all 
over  the  land  and  was  received  with  great  favor.  The  sub- 
divisions are : 

(a)  The  First  Galilean  Period,  Dec,  A.  D.  27-Summer, 
A.  D.  28. 

(b)  The  Second  Galilean  Period,  Summer,  A.  D.  28- 
April,  A.  D.  29. 

(3)  Jlte  Year  of  Opposition,  April,  A.  D.  29- April,  A. 
D.  30.  So  called  because  during  it  public  favor  ebbed 
away,  and  the  enmity  of  the  rulers  increased.  The  sub- 
divisions are : 

(a)  The  Third  Galilean  Period,  April-Nov.,  A.  D.  29. 

(b)  The  Perean  Period,  Nov.,  A.  D.  29- April,  A.  D.  30. 

III.  The  Week  of  Passion.  Palm  Sunday,  April  2- 
Easter  Sunday,  April  9,  A.  D.  30. 

IV.  The  Forty  Days  of  Resurrection  Life.  Easter 
Sunday,  April  9,  to  Ascension  Day,  Thursday,  May  18,  A. 
D.  30.' 

In  connection  with  the  above  dates  it  should  be  observed,  (a) 
that  there  is  a  distinction  between  absolute  and  relative  chronology. 
The  first  aims  to  show  how  the  principal  events  in  Christ's  life  fit 
in  with  the  course  of  universal  history,  and  the  latter  tries  to  ar- 
range the  single  events  according  to  their  inter-relation,  (b)  That 
all  the  above  calendar  dates  are  only  approximate,  because  they 
are  not  contained  in  the  gospels  but  are  conjectured  by  comparing 
the  facts  given  in  the  gospels  (Matt.  2:1;  Luke  2:  i,  2;  3:  i)  with 


Life  of  Christ.  45 

information  gathered  from  contemporaneous  history,  (c)  The 
assignment  of  dates  is  not  essential  for  the  study  of  the  more  im- 
portant problems  with  which  a  life  of  Christ  has  to  deal,  (d)  The 
dates  for  the  chief  events  in  the  life  of  Christ,  such  as  his  birth, 
the  beginning  of  his  ministry  and  his  death  have  resulted  from  the 
following  calculations. 

51.  When  was  Jesus  Born?  About  Dec.  25,  B.  C.  5, 
or  749  A.  U.  C.  We  calculate  this  from  the  following  data : 
(i)  Matt.  2:  I,  says:  "In  the  days  of  Herod"  (the  Great) 
Jesus  was  born.  Now,  Josephus,  in  Ant.  17,  8,  i,  tells  us 
that  Herod  died  in  March,  B.  C.  4,  shortly  after  the  eclipse 
of  the  moon  of  March  12.  As  time  must  be  allowed  for 
Christ's  circumcision,  presentation,  the  preparation  and  long 
journey  of  the  Wise  Men,  it  is  safe  to  decide  that  Christ 
was  born  about  Dec,  B.  C.  5.  (2)  Luke  2 : 2  says  Jesus 
was  born  when  an  enrollment  was  made  under  Quirinius  as 
governor  of  Syria.  There  was  indeed  a  census  taken  when 
Quirinius  was  governor  of  Syria,  but  this  was  in  8  A.  D., 
or  ten  years  later.  (Acts  5  :  36).  Some  therefore  hold  that 
Luke  made  a  mistake  by  bringing  that  census  in  connection 
with  Christ's  birth.  But  the  two  greatest  authorities,  Zumpt 
and  Momsen,  think  they  can  prove  that  Quirinius  was  twice 
governor  of  Syria,  the  first  time  in  750,  and  that  then  he 
finished  a  census  begun  by  his  predecessor  but  called  by  his 
own  name.  Others  hold  that  Quirinius  took  the  census  in 
some  official  capacity  other  than  governor  (Andrews  p.  4; 
Rhees  p.  52).  (3)  From  John  2:20  we  infer  that  near  the 
beginning  of  Christ's  ministry  the  Herodian  temple  had 
been  in  course  of  erection  for  46  years.  As  Herod  began 
the  building  in  733  A.  U.  C,  we  add  to  this  figure  the  46 
years  which  gives  us  the  year  779  as  the  opening  of  Christ's 
ministry.  Subtract  30  years — the  age  of  Christ  at  that 
time — (Luke  3:23)  and  we  have  B.  C.  5  or  749  as  Christ's 
birth.  (4)  Matthew  2 : 2  states  that  at  Christ's  birth  a 
wonderful  star  appeared.  The  great  astronomer  Kepler 
observed  in  1603  an  unusual  conjunction  of  stars  and  by 
diligent  search  he  found  that  in  747  A.  U.  C.  a  similar  con- 
junction of  Jupiter  and  Saturn  had  appeared  to  which  in 


46  Life  of  Christ. 

748  Mars  was  added.  Chinese  records  affirm  that  in  749 
and  750  a  comet  was  visible.  (5)  There  are  no  data  in  the 
N.  T.  to  fix  the  day  and  the  month  of  Christ's  birth.  Dec. 
25,  first  mentioned  in  the  4th  century,  was  selected  more 
for  symbolical  and  practical  reasons  than  on  historical 
grounds.  At  this  season  of  the  year  the  pagans  observed 
feasts  in  honor  of  the  victory  of  the  god  of  light  over  the 
god  of  darkness,  because  from  Dec.  25  on  the  days  lengthen. 
How  natural  it  was  to  substitute  the  birthday  of  the  Light 
of  the  World.  Neander  thinks  that  the  church  favored  this 
date  and  season  to  keep  its  members  away  from  these 
heathen  feasts  by  ofifering  them  something  better.  (6) 
The  above  shows  that  our  present  system  of  chronology 
("The  Christian,  or  Dionysian  Era")  is  incorrect.  It  orig- 
inated with  Dionysius  Exiguus  ("The  Little"),  a  Scythian 
by  birth,  v/ho  died  in  556  as  Abbot  of  a  monastery  in  Rome, 
In  his  book  "Cyclus  Paschalis"  he  decided  on  the  year  754 
A.  U.  C.  ("ab  urbe  condita" — "from  the  building  of  the 
city" — Rome),  as  the  year  of  Christ's  birth.  All  the  special- 
ists agree  that  he  erred,  but  as  there  is  no  unanimity  as  to 
how  much  he  erred,  his  chronology  still  stands  for  all  mere 
practical  purposes,  while  in  all  scientific  statements  we  have 
to  use  the  awkward  expression  that  Christ  was  born  5  years 
before  Christ.  But  right  or  wrong  we  must  give  credit 
to  the  monk  for  his  bright  and  true  idea  of  reckoning  time 
to  and  from  Christ,  because  all  the  lines  of  past  history 
converge  and  focus  in  him  and  all  the  lines  of  subsequent 
history  find  their  starting  point  in  him. 

52.  When  did  Christ  Begin  His  Public  Ministry? 
About  Jan.,  A.  D.  27.  This  may  be  calculated  from  three 
dififerent  dates:  (i)  Lu.  3:23  says,  that  Christ  began  his 
ministry  when  he  was  about  30  years  old.  By  counting 
these  years  from  the  date  of  his  birth,  Dec.  25,  B.  C.  5,  we 
get  about  Jan.,  A.  D.  27,  as  the  approximate  date  of  his 
baptism,  with  which  his  ministry  begins.  (2)  At  the  first 
passover  of  Christ's  ministry,  the  temple  has  been  46  years 
in  building  (Jno.  2:20).     Josephus  says  that  Herod  com- 


Life  of  Christ.  47 

menced  the  building  in  733  A.  U.  C.  By  adding  to  this  fig- 
ure the  46  years  we  have  779  (or  A.  D.  27)  as  the  date  of 
the  opening  of  Christ's  ministry.  (3)  Lu.  3:1  says  that 
John  began  preaching  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  Tiberius. 
As  this  emperor  became  co-regent  with  Augustus  about  'j6:\ 
(Jan.  A.  D.  12),  we  add  the  two  figures  and  thus  get  about 
summer,  A.  D.  26  (or  779  A.  U.  C.)  as  the  date  for  the 
beginning  of  John's  ministry.  About  6  months  later,  or  in 
Jan.,  A.  D.  27,  Christ  was  baptized. 

53.  How  Long  was  Christ's  Public  Ministry?  (i) 
A  few  writers  insist  on  only  one  year.  They  place  a  literal 
interpretation  on  Isa.  61 : 2  ("the  acceptable  year  of  the 
Lord"),  and  point  to  the  fact  that  the  Synoptists  mentior? 
only  one  passover  during  Christ's  ministry.  (2)  Others  ac- 
cept three  passovers  in  Christ's  ministry,  as  recorded  in 
John  2-13;  6:4;  13:  I,  which  will  make  its  duration  two 
and  one-half  years  (the  tripaschal  theory).  (3)  Many 
holding  that  the  "unnamed  feast"  in  John  5  :  i  was  a  pass- 
over,  figure  out  four  passovers.  (Ouadripaschal  theory), 
which  will  make  Christ's  ministry  last  three  and  one-half 
years.  (4)  The  latter  is  the  most  probable  interpretation 
and  has  been  accepted  as  the  basis  for  this  text-book. 

54.  When  did  Christ  Die?  On  Friday,  April  7  (15 
Nisan),  A.  D.  30,  about  3  P.  M.  (i)  The  year  30  A.  D. 
results  from  adding  the  30  years  before  his  baptism  and 
the  y/2  years  of  his  ministry  to  the  date  of  his  birth, 
Dec.  25,  B.  C.  5.  (2)  The  Synoptists  and  John  agree  that 
the  day  of  week  was  Friday  (Mk.  15:42;  Lu.  23:  56;  Jno. 
19:31,  42).  The  same  result  is  reached  by  counting  back 
three  days  from  the  "first  day  of  the  week,"  remembering 
that  the  Jews  counted  the  periods  of  time  inclusively,  that 
is,  fractions  for  entire  periods.  (3)  All  three  Synoptists 
declare  plainly  that  the  date  of  the  month  was  15  Nisan 
(xA.pril  7),  the  first  day  of  the  passover  season  which  lasted 
8  days  (Matt.  26:  17;  Mk.  14:  12;  Lu.  22:  15).  (4)  Many 
authorities,  however,  insist  that  John's  gospel  means  to  say 
that  the  paschal  meal  was  yet  before  them  when  Christ  was 


48  Life  of  Christ. 

crucified,  and  thai  the  Friday  of  Christ's  crucifixion  was 
therefore  the  14th  of  Nisan  (April  6).  They  base  their 
opinion  on  four  passages  in  John,  (a)  John  13:1.  "Re- 
fore  the  feast  of  the  passover  Jesus  washed  the  disciples' 
feet :''  Answer,  "before''  does  not  mean  a  whole  day  be- 
fore the  passover,  but  a  few  minutes  before  the  eating  be- 
gan, (b)  Jno.  13:27.  29  says  that  some  disciples  thought 
that  Judas  left  the  table  because  Jesus  had  said :  "Buy  what 
things  we  have  need  of  for  the  feast."  Answer.  If  this 
meal  had  been  held  on  13  Nisan.  this  belief  of  the  dis- 
ciples can  hardly  be  understood,  since  there  would  have 
been  no  reason  for  Judas'  hurrying  out  at  that  time  to 
make  the  purchases  for  which  the  whole  of  the  next  day 
would  have  been  free,  (c)  John  18:28.  "It  was  early; 
and  they  (the  rulers^  went  not  into  the  judgment  hall  lest 
they  should  be  defiled,  but  that  they  might  eat  the  passover." 
Answer,  The  "passover*'  referred  to  was  the  oflferings  of 
the  first  i)aschal  day  (the  "Chagigah").  and  not  the  paschal 
meal  with  which  the  feast  began.  Hut  even  on  the  sup- 
position that  this  was  14  Nisan,  the  pollution  contracted 
would  have  ceased  at  sunset,  which  was  the  time  for  the 
meal,  (d)  Jno.  19:14:  "And  it  was  the  preparation  of 
the  passover,"  that  is,  the  day  preceding  the  passover.  An- 
swer, "Preparation"  always  means  Friday,  hence,  "pre- 
paration of  the  passover''  means  "Friday,  on  which  the 
passover  fell  that  year,"  and  not  the  Friday  before  the  pass- 
over.  The  day  following  Christ's  death  is  called  a  "great 
sabbath"  (Jno.  19:31).  either  because  it  fell  in  the  pass- 
over  week,  or  to  distinguish  it  from  the  feast-  or  minor 
sabbaths,  of  which  there  were  seven.  (5)  The  view  that 
according  to  John  Christ  died  on  14  Nisan  has  recently  re- 
ceived strong  support  by  an  opinion  of  the  Astronomical 
Society  of  Berlin.  Germany,  according  to  which  the  pass- 
over  of  tiie  year  A.  D.  30  began  on  Friday  evening,  at  sun- 
set, so  that,  if  Jesus  died  on  a  Friday,  it  must  have  been 
14  Nisan.  (6)  The  defenders  of  this  view  say  that  even 
the  Synoptists  favor  them,  for  they  record  various  activities 


Life  of  Christ.  49 

which  show  that  it  cannot  have  been  the  15th  of  Nisan. 
(a)  Mark  15:21,  Simon  comes  from  the  field.  Answer, 
but  not  necessarily  from  work.  He  had  his  lodging  out- 
side the  city,  (b)  Mark  15:46,  Joseph  buys  linen,  (c) 
Lu.  23 :  56,  the  women  prepare  ointment.  Answer,  All 
these  activities  may  have  occurred  on  the  first  feast  day 
which  was  one  of  the  seven  so-called  "feast-sabbaths"  (The 
first  and  the  seventh  day  of  the  passover ;  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost ;  the  first  and  tenth  day  of  the  seventh  month ;  the  first 
and  eighth  day  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles).  These  were 
not  regarded  as  equal  in  sacredness  to  the  week  sabbath. 
(7)  Presumptive  evidence  is  also  in  favor  of  holding  that 
all  four  evangelists  agree  on  the  15th  of  Nisan.  (a)  It  is 
improbable  that  Matthew  and  Peter  (Mark's  informant) 
should  have  forgotten  such  an  important  fact,  (b)  If  John 
had  intended  to  correct  the  mistake  of  the  Synoptists  he 
would  have  done  so  in  a  more  intelligible  way.  (c)  Jesus 
who  habitually  kept  the  law  would  not  celebrate  the  pass- 
over  a  day  before  the  legal  time. 

55.  Relative  Chronology,  (i)  Of  the  150  principal 
events  recorded  in  the  gospels  about  100  are  fixed  as  to  their 
chronological  order  by  the  common  consent  of  the  leading 
harmonizers ;  about  25  are  agreed  upon  by  the  majority,  and 
the  remaining  25  are  altogether  uncertain.  This  explains 
the  diversity  of  arrangement  in  the  various  Lives  of  Christ. 
(2)  For  a  detailed  chart  of  approximate  dates  in  the  Life 
of  Christ,  combining  the  absolute  and  relative  chronology 
of  his  life,  see  the  "Table  of  Contents"  in  front  of  this 
book.  It  should  be  thoroughly  memorized  and  constantly 
referred  to. 

36.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Excursus  I,  Date  of  Christ's 
Birth;  Exc.  8,  The  Unnamed  Feast;  Exc.  10,  Was  the  Last  Supper 
a  Real  Passover?  Hastings  D.  of  Christ  I,  p.  413,  "Dates;"  Hast. 
B.  D.  I,  410,  on  Length  of  Ministry;  Cambridge,  Greek  N.  T.  on 
John,  Appendix  I ;  Andrews,  on  Date  of  Birth,  p.  i ;  Date  of  Death, 
p.  452;  On  the  Divisions  of  Christ's  Life,  p.  125;  Zoeckler,  Hand- 


50  Life  of  Christ. 

buch  der  theol.  Wissenschaften  I,  481;  Wieseler,  Chronology; 
Ramsay,  "Was  Christ  Born  at  Bethlehem?  Deissmann,  Light  from 
the  Ancient  East,  Ch.  IV,  on  "Social  and  Religious  history  in  the 
N.  T." 

CHAPTER  8. 
Selected  Bibliography. 

57.  On  the  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived.  The  next 
best  thing  to  possessing  a  considerable  fund  of  useful  in- 
formation is  to  know  reliable  sources  where  to  get  more. 
Of  the  voluminous  literature  on  our  subject  we  will  men- 
tion only  a  few  of  such  books  as  are  easily  accessible.  Addi- 
tional references  will  be  found  throughout  the  book,  (i) 
On  the  World  in  Which  Christ  Lived:  Geo.  B.  Smith,  Hist. 
Geography  of  the  Holy  Land  (almost  indispensible). 
Schuerer,  History  of  the  Jewish  People  in  the  Time  of 
Christ,  5  vol. ;  the  standard  work  on  the  subject.  jMackie, 
Bible  Manners  and  Customs.  Schneller,  "Kennst  du  das 
Land."  Breed,  Preparation  of  the  World  for  Christ. 
Riggs,  History  of  the  Jewish  People.  Matthews,  History 
of  N.  T.  Times.  (2)  For  the  historical  background:  Five 
novels,  "Quo  Vadis,"  by  H.  Sienkiewicz;  "Ben  Hur,"  by 
Wallace ;  "The  Last  Days  of  Pompeii,"  by  Bulwer  Lytton ; 
"The  Prince  of  the  House  of  David,"  by  J.  H.  Ingraham ; 
"Titus,"  by  Kingsley.  These  stories  must  be  read  with  dis- 
crimination, always  remembering  that  they  interweave  with 
historical  facts  much  imaginative  detail ;  but  for  a  historical 
background  they  are  very  helpful.  (3)  Good  Harmonics, 
by  Stevens  and  Burton,  Kerr  and  Robinson. 

58.  Lives  of  Christ.  Andrezvs,  The  Life  of  our  Lord : 
excellent  on  all  questions  of  chronology,  geography  and  har- 
mony ;  Farrar's  Life  of  Christ ;  descriptive  and  picturesque ; 
Sanday,  The  Life  of  Christ  (in  Hastings  D.  of  the  Bible, 
and  in  book  form),  clear,  very  learned  and  comprehensive; 
also  Sanday,  Life  of  Christ  in  Recent  Research  ;  Edershcim, 
Life  and  Times  of  Jesus;  good  on  Rabbinical  literature, 


Life  of  Christ.  51 

Jewish  archaeology  and  theology ;  Stalker,  The  Life  of  Jesus ; 
terse  and  clear;  Gladstone,  W.  E.,  "Ecce  Homo,"  Seeley, 
J.  R.,  "Ecce  Homo:  A  Survey  of  the  Life  and  Work  of 
Jesus  Christ;"  Robertson,  Epochs  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 
Other  works  on  the  Life  of  Christ,  by  B.  Weiss,  Beyschlag, 
Neander,  Lange,  Oehninger,  Keim,  Hanna,  Geikie,  Gilbert, 
Rhees,  Schmidt,  Burton  and  Matthews,  Holtzmann,  Hase, 
Strauss,  Renan,  Dawson.  For  articles  from  the  Jewish  and 
Roman  Catholic  standpoint,  see  under  "Jesus"  in  "Jewish 
Encycl."  VH,  and  in  "Roman  Catholic  Encycl." 

59.  Dictionaries  and  Encyclopedias.  Every  up-to-date 
Bible  student,  minister  or  lay  member,  should  constantly 
consult  one  or  more  reliable  dictionaries  of  the  Bible.  They 
contain  valuable  and  most  necessary  information  in  con- 
densed and  well-arranged  form,  and  thus  save  time  and 
money,  (i)  Dictionaries  of  one  volume  and  low  priced: 
Davis,  (Presb.  Board  of  Publ.  very  good)  ;  also  Smith, 
Schaff;  (2)  of  one  volume,  but  larger  and  higher  priced: 
Hastings,  Piercy,  Standard,  Guthe,  Kurzes  Bibelwoer- 
terbuch;  (3)  of  several  volumes:  Hasting,  D.  of  the 
Bible,  five  vol.,  D.  of  Christ  and  the  Gospels,  2  vol.,  D.  of 
Rel.  and  Ethics,  3  vol. ;  Smith's  3  vol. ;  Riehm,  Real  Woer- 
terbuch ;  Mensel,  Handlexicon,  7  vol. ;  Encycl.  Biblica,  4  vol. 
(able,  but  radical)  ;  (4)  Herzog's  Realencyclopaedie  fur 
Theologie  und  Kirche,  20  vol. ;  the  Schaff-Herzog  Encycl.  in 
10  vol.  (a  condensed  and  adapted  translation  of  the  German 
work)  ;  Sanford,  Encycl.  of  Rel.  Knowledge,  all  general 
Enc,  especially  the  Britanica  and  Meyer's  Conversations- 
lexicon  contain  articles  on  Bible  subjects.  (5)  A  Concord- 
ance of  the  Bible  will  sometimes  be  necessary  to  look  up 
passages.  Young's  Analytical  C,  Cruden's  C.  and  Calwer 
Bibelconcordanz  are  very  good. 

60.  Catalogues  and  Pictures,  (i)  Hill,  a  Guide  to  the 
Lives  of  Christ;  Votow,  Books  for  N.  T.  Study;  Thayer, 
Books  and  Their  Uses ;  Vincent,  Student's  N.  T.  Handbook ; 
Appendix  to  Rhees'  Life  of  Christ ;  Ayres,  Bibliography  of 
Jesus  Christ.     (2)  Views  of  places  and  buildings  are  very 


52  Life  of  Christ. 

helpful,  also  models,  as  Herod's  Temple  by  Herr  Schick  of 
Jerusalem,  the  original  of  which  is  in  the  archaeological 
museum  of  Harvard  University.  (3)  Photographs  of 
paintings  by  masters  like  Raphael,  Guido  Reni,  Hofman, 
Tissot,  and  others.  On  this  whole  subject  see  McConaughy, 
"Great  Events  in  the  Life  of  Christ,"  p.  200,  and  also  "Com- 
plete Handbook  of  Religious  Pictures,"  at  the  S.  S.  Com- 
mission, 29  Lafayette  Place,  New  York,  15  cents.  Scenes 
in  the  Life  of  Christ  by  Famous  Painters,  Union  Press, 
1 816  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Very  helpful  are 
"The  Illuminated  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,"  by  For- 
bush  (Underwood  and  Underwood,  New  York). 

CHAPTER  9. 

General  Review. 

61.  On  the  World  of  Jesus,  (i)  Give  and  explain  names  of 
the  Holy  Land,  its  location,  boundaries,  size,  roads,  climate,  natural 
and  political  divisions.  To  what  empire  did  it  belong?  Locate 
and  describe  the  mountains  and  bodies  of  water  associated  with 
the  Life  of  Christ.  (2)  With  reference  to  the  closing  period  of 
O.  T.  history,  give  designation,  events  and  date  of  its  beginning 
and  end,  its  periods;  a  sketch  of  Herod  the  Great's  life;  rulers  of 
Palestine  after  Herod's  death,  and  names  of  their  capitals ;  give 
an  account  of  the  Jewish  war  and  the  revolt  under  Hadrian.  Name 
the  two  branches  of  Jews,  the  languages  of  Palestine,  the  three 
names  of  the  Jews.  With  reference  to  the  Sanhedrin  state  origin, 
number  of  members,  qualifications,  president,  meeting  place,  powers. 
What  was  the  method  of  collecting  taxes?  Sketch  the  history  of 
the  Roman  emperors  of  the  first  century.  (3)  What  was  the  in- 
tellectual status  of  the  world  in  Christ's  time ;  the  contribution  of 
the  Jews  to  culture?  Name  and  describe  the  three  classes  of  Jewish 
literature ;  their  influence  on  Christ  and  the  N.  T.  books.  Describe 
the  principal  schools  of  Greek  philosophy;  What  effect  did  philos- 
ophy have  on  religion  and  morality  of  the  Gentiles?  How  did  it 
pave  the  way  for  Christianity?  What  was  the  status  of  Roman  cul- 
ture and  literature?  (4)  Were  the  Jews  religious f  What  unique 
idea  pervaded  the  O.  T.  and  Jewish  religion.  Define  Messianic 
prophecy.  What  was  the  popular  idea  of  the  Messiah  in  Christ's 
time?    Describe  the  three  religious  sects,  also  the  scribes,  Herodians, 


Life  of  Christ.  53 

Zealots,  the  great  Synagogue,  the  proselytes,  the  mission  of  the  Jews. 
How  many  sacred  buildings?  Name  and  locate  the  six  parts  of  the 
Herodian  temple,  the  two  porches.  Explain  the  name  "court  of 
women,"  and  state  the  contents  of  the  Holy  of  Holies,  formerly 
and  in  Christ's  time.  Describe  the  origin  of  the  Temple  at  Helio- 
polis.  With  reference  to  the  synagogue  explain  its  name,  origin, 
organization,  furniture  and  its  arrangement,  services  and  influence. 
Name  the  seven  feasts  in  chronological  order,  and  state  when,  why 
and  how  each  was  observed.  Trace  the  origin  of  the  Samaritans 
and  describe  their  religion.  What  was  the  religious  condition  of 
the  pagan  world?  (5)  What  was  the  moral  condition  of  the  world 
in  Christ's  time  in  general  and  in  particular  with  reference  to  labor, 
slavery,  luxury,  marriage  and  divorce,  treatment  of  children?  Quote 
from  "Germania"  what  is  said  on  the  morals  of  Rome.  State  the 
five  lines  of  preparation  for  the  coming  of  Christ.  Explain  how  a 
universal  language,  good  roads  and  Roman  government  facilitated 
the  spread  of  the  gospel. 

62.  Sources,  Chronology  and  Bibliography,  (i)  Name  and 
describe  the  pagan,  Jewish  and  extra-Biblical  sources  of  information 
concerning  Christ.  What  contributions  to  our  knowledge  of  Christ's 
earthly  life  may  be  derived  from  Paul's  and  Peter's  letters  and 
also  from  the  interpolations  ?  State  with  reference  to  each  gospel : 
by  whom,  for  whom,  when,  where,  with  what  purpose  it  was  writ- 
ten ;  what  is  the  "synoptic  problem"  and  what  is  the  present  state 
of  its  solution?  (2)  State  the  date  of  Christ's  birth,  beginning  of 
his  ministry  and  death.  In  each  case  show  from  N.  T.  passages 
that  these  dates  are  approximately  correct.  What  is  the  length 
of  Christ's  ministry.  Name  in  order  the  periods  of  Christ's  life 
and  state  with  what  event  each  begins  and  ends.  Why  does  it 
seem  natural  to  count  time  to  and  from  Christ?  Who  was  the 
author  of  the  Christian  system  of  chronology?  (3)  Name  by  title 
and  author  some  of  the  most  important  books  on  "The  World  in 
which  Jesus  Lived"  and  on  the  Life  of  Christ. 


PART  II. 

The  Events  of  the  Life  of  Christ 

DIVISION  I. 
The  Thirty  Years  of  Preparation 

From  the  Birth  of  Jesus  until  His  Baptism.    From  December 
25,  B.  C.  5,  to  January,  A.  D.  27. 

CHAPTER  10. 

Introduction. 

John  I :  i-i8 ;  Lu.  i :  1-4 ;  3  :  23-38 ;  Matt,  i :  1-17 ;  Harmony 

1-3.* 

63.  John's  Prologue.  The  roots  of  the  divine-human 
life  of  which  the  gospels  present  a  brief  sketch  reach  into 
the  depths  of  eternity,  (i)  The  true  nature  of  the  word. 
John  declares :  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the 
Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  All  things 
were  made  through  him.  In  him  was  life,  and  the  life  was 
the  light  of  men.  (2)  The  Word  Revealed  to  Men.  John, 
a  man  sent  from  God  came  to  bear  witness  of  the  light,  that 
all  might  believe  through  him.  When  Christ  came  unto 
his  own,  they  that  were  his  own  received  him  not.  But  as 
many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  the  right  to  become 
children  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believed  on  his  name. 
(3)   The  Word  Reveals  the  father.    The  Word  became 


*  These  figures  at  the  head  of  each  chapter  refer  to  the  sections  in 
the  "Harmony  of  the  Gospels"  by  Profs.  Stevens  and  Burton. 

54 


Life  of  Christ.  55 

flesh  and  dwelt  amongst  us  (and  we  beheld  his  glory,  a  glory 
as  of  the  only  begotten  from  the  Father),  full  of  grace  and 
truth.  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time;  the  only  be- 
gotten Son  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  de- 
clared him. 

64.  Luke's  Preface.  The  divine-human  life  of  Jesus  on 
earth  is  described  with  great  care  by  the  four  evangelists. 
Luke  alone  speaks  of  the  method  he  pursued.  He  says: 
As  many  have  drawn  up  a  narrative  of  those  matters  which 
have  transpired  among  us  (as  they  delivered  them  unto  us, 
who  from  the  beginning  were  eye  witnesses  and  ministers 
of  the  Word),  it  seemed  good  to  me  also,  having  traced  the 
course  of  all  things  accurately  from  the  first,  to  write  unto 
thee  in  order,  most  excellent  Theophilus ;  that  thou  mightest 
know  the  certainty  concerning  the  things  wherein  thou 
wast  instructed. 

65.  The  two  Genealogies,  (i)  The  object  of  intro- 
ducing into  the  gospels  the  genealogy  of  Jesus  was  to  show 
that  he  as  the  Messiah  was  the  Son  of  David.  (2)  Mat- 
thew's table  begins  with  Abraham  and  traces  his  line  in  14 
generations  to  David ;  then  through  Solomon  in  14  genera- 
tions to  the  time  of  the  Babylonian  captivity;  then  in  14 
generations  to  Jesus.  (3)  Luke  begins  with  Jesus  and 
traces  his  descent  to  Nathan  the  son  of  David;  then  back 
to  Abraham;  but  not  stopping  there  as  Matthew  did,  he 
carries  the  pedigree  back  to  Adam  the  son  of  God, 

66.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  historical 
sources  of  the  section ;  memorize  Jno.  i :  18.  2.  The  first  clause 
of  John  I :  i  declares  the  eternity  of  the  Logos,  and  the  emphatic 
word  is  "was;"  the  second,  his  distinct  personality,  and  the  em- 
phatic word  is,  "with;"  the  third,  his  co-equality  with  the  Father, 
and  the  word  "God"  is  to  be  emphasized.  3.  Arianism  (condemned 
at  the  Council  of  Nicsea,  325)  taught,  "There  was  a  time  when  he 
was  not."  Modern  Unitarianism  holds  similar  views.  4.  A  word  is 
that  through  which  one  makes  himself  known  to  others.  Jesus  is 
called  "the  Word,"  because  through  him  God  made  himself  known 
to  man.  5.  The  application  of  the  term  "Word"  to  Christ  was 
doubtless   suggested   by  his   own   words   in   John  8:42;    12:44-50; 


56  Life  of  Christ. 

16:28;  17:8-14.  The  thought  is  in  full  accord  with  the  teaching 
of  Paul  regarding  the  nature  and  work  of  Christ  (Phil.  2:5-9; 
2  Cor.  8:9;  Gal.  4:4;  Col.,  chaps,  i  and  2)  ;  and  with  Heb.  i:  1-4. 
It  is  a  philosophical  statement  of  a  vital  element  in  the  early  Chris- 
tian faith  and  thought.  6.  John  gives  the  philosopliy  of  the  incar- 
nation while  the  Synoptists  tell  the  storj'.  7.  The  freface  of  Lntie 
emphasizes  the  credibility  of  his  gospel,  lie  first  states  the  reason 
why  he  wrote  it,  namely,  (a)  to  supplement  the  oral  teaching  of 
Theophilus,  and  to  confirm  his  faith,  (b)  Because  none  of  the 
existing  gospels  suited  this  purpose.  Second,  he  explains  his 
method;  (a)  he  examined  the  existing  gospels;  (b)  he  compared 
the  verbal  reports  of  eye-witnesses;  (c)  all  material  thus  furnished 
he  sifted  critically;  (d)  he  aimed  to  write  a  complete  sketch  of 
the  Life  of  Christ;  (e)  he  arranged  his  material  chronologically.  8. 
All  admit  that  Matthew's  genealogy  refers  to  Joseph.  As  to  Luke's 
table,  some  hold  that  it  also  refers  to  Joseph,  while  others  believe 
that  he  means  to  give  Mary's  descent.  9.  TJie  fact  of  two  different 
genealogies  is  perplexing.  For  if  both  tables  are  referred  to  Joseph, 
the  dissimilarity  of  the  names  is  remarkable,  and  if  Luke's  is  refer- 
ed  to  Mary,  the  similarity  of  names  creates  difficulties.  10.  The 
scope  of  the  two  gospels  explains  why  Matthew  traces  Christ's  de- 
scent to  Abraham  and  Luke  to  Adam.  Matthew,  writing  for  the 
Jews,  shows  that  Jesus  was  the  heir  of  David,  being  the  legal  son 
of  Joseph,  and  he  therefore  begins  with  Abraham  and  descends 
through  King  David  to  Christ,  his  heir.  Luke,  writing  for  the  Gen- 
tiles, begins  with  Christ,  the  second  Adam,  ascends  to  the  first 
Adam,  the  Son  of  God  by  creation. 

67.  Reference  Literature.  Consult  the  dictionaries ;  On  the 
Logos,  and  the  genealogies,  especially  Hastings  D.  of  C.  H,  49; 
"Only  P>egotten,"  Hastings  D.  of  C.  H,  281 ;  for  a  full  discussion 
of  the  genealogies,  see  Andrews,  60-65,  and  Smith,  New  Testament 
History,   192. 

68.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  To  what  religious  views  is 
John's  prologue  opposed?  2.  What  great  truth  of  the  Gospel  does 
it  emphasize?  3.  Why  did  only  four  of  the  early  gospels  survive? 
4.  What  are  the  most  marked  differences  in  the  two  genealogies? 


Life  of  Christ.  \       57 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Annunciations  of  John  and  Christ. 

Lu.  1 :  5-56;  Matt,  i  :  18-25.     Harmony,  4-7. 

69.  To  Zacharias.  ( i )  There  was  in  the  closing  days 
of  Herod  the  Great  (37-4  B.  C.)  a  priest  named  Zacharias 
and  his  wife's  name  was  Elisabeth.  They  were  both  right- 
eous but  had  no  child,  which  in  the  O.  T.  was  considered 
a  punishment;  and  both  were  now  old.  (2)  While  he 
executed  the  priest's  office  in  the  order  of  his  course  (prob- 
ably on  Oct.  3,  B.  C.  6),  his  lot  was  to  enter  into  the  sanc- 
tuary and  burn  incense  while  the  people  were  praying  with- 
out. There  appeared  unto  him  an  angel  at  which  Zacharias 
was  troubled.  But  the  angel  said,  "Fear  not,  thy  supplica- 
tion is  heard  and  thy  wife  Elisabeth  shall  bear  thee  a  son, 
and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  John"  (Hebrew,  Jochanan — 
"God  is  gracious").  (3)  Thou  shalt  have  joy  and  glad- 
ness, and  many  shall  rejoice  at  his  birth.  He  shall  be  great 
in  the  sight  of  the  Lord ;  he  shall  drink  no  wine  nor  strong 
drink ;  and  shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit ;  he  shall 
work  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elijah,  to  make  ready  for 
the  Lord  a  people.  (4)  Zacharias  said.  Whereby  shall  I 
know  this?  for  I  and  my  wife  are  old.  The  angel  said,  I 
am  Gabriel  that  stand  in  the  presence  of  God.  Behold 
thou  shalt  not  be  able  to  speak  until  the  day  that  these  things 
come  to  pass,  because  thou  believedst  not  my  words.  (5) 
The  people  were  waiting  for  Zacharias,  and  marveled  be- 
cause he  tarried  in  the  Temple.  When  he  came  out,  he 
dismissed  them,  making  signs.  When  the  days  of  his  minis- 
tration were  fulfilled,  he  departed  unto  his  house  at  Hebron, 
and  the  promise  was  fulfilled. 

70.  To  Mary,  (i)  In  the  sixth  month  after  the  ap- 
pearance to  Zacharias  (in  March  25  B.  C.  5),  the  angel 
Gabriel  was  sent  to  Nazareth,  to  Mary,  a  virgin,  betrothed 
to  Joseph  of  the  house  of  David.     (2)  He  greeted  her. 


58  Life  of  Christ. 

"Hail  thou,  that  art  highly  favored,  the  Lord  is  with  thee." 
When  she  was  greatly  troubled  at  this  salutation,  the  angel 
said,  Fear  not,  Mary ;  for  thou  hast  found  favor  with  God. 
Thou  shalt  bring  forth  a  son  and  call  his  name  Jesus.  (3) 
He  shall  be  great  and  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Most  High. 
(4)  Mary  said.  How  shall  this  be,  seeing  I  know  not  a  man. 
The  angel  answered,  The  Holy  Spirit  shall  come  upon  thee, 
wherefore  the  holy  thing  which  is  begotten  shall  be  called 
the  Son  of  God.  (5)  Mary  said,  Behold  the  handmaid  of 
the  Lord.  Be  it  unto  me  according  to  thy  word.  And  the 
angel  departed  from  her. 

71.  To  Joseph,  (i)  Mary  was  betrothed  to  Joseph; 
but  before  they  came  together,  she  was  found  with  child 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  (2)  Joseph  being  a  righteous  man,  and 
not  willing  to  make  her  a  public  example,  was  minded  to 
put  her  away  privily.  (3)  But  an  angel  appeared  unto 
him  in  a  dream  saying.  Fear  not  to  take  unto  thee  Mary  thy 
wife,  for  that  which  is  conceived  in  her  is  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  She  shall  bring  forth  a  Son  and  thou  shalt  call  his 
name  Jesus :  for  it  is  he  that  shall  save  his  people  from  their 
sins.  (4)  Joseph  did  as  the  angel  commanded  him,  but 
knew  her  not  till  she  had  brought  forth  a  son. 

72.  Visit  to  Elisabeth,  ( i )  Following  the  angel's  sug- 
gestion (Lu.  1:36),  Mar}'-  went  to  Hebron,  to  the  house 
of  Zacharias,  and  saluted  Elisabeth.  (2)  When  Elisabeth 
heard  the  salutation  of  Mary,  she  was  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  said,  Blessed  art  thou  among  women,  and  blessed 
is  the  fruit  of  thy  womb.  And  whence  is  this  to  me  that 
the  mother  of  my  Lord  should  come  unto  me?  (3)  Then 
Mary  broke  out  into  the  words  of  the  Magnificat:  "My  soul 
doth  magnify  the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God 
my  Saviour."  (4)  After  three  months,  Mary  left  for 
Nazareth,  just  before  John's  birth. 

73.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  the  historical  sources  of  this 
chapter,  and  notice  the  difference  of  Chaps.  1  and  2  of  Luke  from 
the  rest  of  the  gospel.  They  show  so  strong  a  tinge  of  the  Aramaic 
idiom  as  to  force  the  conclusion  that  the  material  must  have  come 


Life  of  Christ.  59 

from  an  Aramaic  document,  probably  from  Mary,  whom  Luke  may 
have  met  while  in  Jerusalem,  and  at  Caesarea  (Acts  27).  2.  Lo- 
cate the  places  on  the  map  of  Palestine  and  on  the  plan  of  the 
Temple ;  memorize  Luke  i :  46-47.  3.  On  Herod  the  Great,  see  ^12. 
4.  As  the  priests  were  so  numerous  (20,000  at  this  time),  that  not  all 
could  officiate  at  the  same  time,  they  were  divided  into  twenty-four 
courses,  of  which  the  course  of  Abiah  was  the  eighth,  (i  Chron. 
24:10).  Each  of  them  officiated  for  one  week.  These  weekly 
groups  were  again  divided  into  five  to  nine  subdivisions,  each  of 
which  officiated  one  day.  To  avoid  contentions,  the  various  func- 
tions of  the  day  were  distributed  every  morning  by  lot.  Of  these 
functions,  the  offering  of  incense  was  considered  the  highest.  It 
was  offered  twice  a  day  before  the  morning  and  evening  sacrifices,  at 
9  A.  M.  and  3  P.  M.  5.  On  Nazareth  see  II7  and  a  Bible  Dictionary. 
6.  Give  a  sketch  of  Mary's  life  from  the  material  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 7.  Tradition  says,  that  Mary's  parents  were  Joachim  of 
Nazareth  and  Anna  of  Bethlehem;  that  at  this  time  she  was  about 
18  years  old,  whilst  Joseph,  a  carpenter  was  much  older  (girls  in 
the  East  were  usually  married  between  14-17  years  and  even 
earlier)  ;  that  she  was  of  middle  height,  had  a  fair  complexion, 
blonde  hair,  and  light  hazel  eyes,  that  she  was  very  beautiful,  but 
modest  and  serious.  8.  On  Dec.  8,  1854  Pope  Pius  IX  went  so  far 
as  to  declare  that  Mary  was  conceived  without  sin.  In  memory  of 
this  event,  he  caused  the  erection  of  a  monument  in  the  Piazza  di 
Spagna  in  Rome.  In  the  church  calendar  the  festival  of  the  An- 
nunciation falls  on  March  25  and  is  often  called  "Lady  Day."  9. 
The  seed  of  Mariolatry  is  not  found  in  the  New  Testament  where 
the  virgin  is  invariably  called  "Mary."  (Heb.  Miriam),  without 
any  of  the  titles  of  dignity  later  applied  to  her.  We  find  it  rather 
in  the  marked  propensity  of  paganism  to  deify  human  beings,  and 
especially  in  the  inclination  of  the  male  portion  of  the  Latin  race 
to  worship  a  female  in  preference  to  a  male  idol.  10.  "Hail"  (Latin 
"Ave.")  was  an  ordinary  mode  of  salutation  (Matt.  28:9).  But 
these  words  of  the  angel  (Luke  i :  28)  have  been  perverted  into 
a  ground  for  worship,  and  the  "Ave  Maria"  is  the  daily  prayer  of 
millions.  It  is  composed  of  the  greetings  by  "Gabriel  and  Elisabeth 
(Lu.  1:28,  42).  The  service  is  known  as  "Angelus"  (the  "Angels' 
Greeting"),  of  which  the  Catholic  people  are  reminded  in  the  even- 
ing by  the  ringing  of  a  bell.  11.  "Jesus''  is  the  Greek  form  of 
Jehoshua,  or  abbreviated,  Joshua,  "Jehovah  our  Saviour,"  from 
Jehovah  and  Hoshea  (a  Saviour).  As  Joshua  saved  Israel  from  its 
enemies,  so  Jesus  was  to  save  the  world  from  its  greatest  enemy. 
The  title  of  Saviour  in  the  sense  of  Conqueror  is  often  applied  to 
Christ  by  John,   Rev.  2:7,   11 ;   3:5,   12,   21;   5:6.     12.   The   "Ave 


6o  Life  of  Christ. 

Maria"  and  the  "Magnificat"  are  the  first  two  of  the  five  hymns 
dealing  with  the  Advent  of  Christ,  recorded  by  Luke.  They  took 
their  names  from  the  opening  word  of  the  Latin  version  of  the 
Bible.  The  others  are  the  Benedictus  of  Zacharias,  the  Gloria  in 
Excelsis  by    the  Angels,  and  the  Nunc  Dimittis  of  Simeon. 

74.  I.  Betrothal  meant  "the  making  sacred"  and  was  usually 
accompanied  by  a  social  and  festive  ceremony ;  it  was  as  strong  as 
marriage,  and  could  not  be  broken  except  by  legal  divorce.  2. 
Both  annunciations  were  necessary.  The  one  to  Mary  saved  her 
from  dreadful  perplexity  and  suffering,  and  that  to  Joseph  because 
he,  on  the  mere  testimony  of  Mary,  could  not  have  accepted  so  ex- 
traordinary a  story.  3.  On  Jewish  marriage  customs,  see  D.  B. 
There  were  seven  days  of  feasting,  lambs  were  sacrificed  and  there 
was  also  a  procession  of  girls  with  lighted  lamps  and  sprays  of 
myrtle.  4.  The  obvious  sense  of  Matt,  i :  25  and  Luke  2 :  7  refute 
the  notion  of  the  perpetual  virginity  of  Mary.  "Firstborn"  implies 
subsequent  children.  According  to  Matt.  13 :  55  she  had  after 
Christ's  birth,  four  sons  and  at  least  two  daughters.  5.  The  visit 
to  Elisabeth  was  suggested  by  Gabriel  (Luke  i :  36),  its  object  being 
sympathetic  conference.  6.  The  distance  from  Nazareth  to  Jeru- 
salem is  80  miles ;  and  from  Jerusalem  to  Hebron  17  miles ;  the 
whole  journey  would  occupy  4  or  5  days.  There  were  three  routes: 
through  Samaria,  or  Perea,  or  along  the  sea  coast.  7.  Elisabeth's 
little  hymn  of  praise  is  a  beautiful  instance  of  humility;  for,  being 
the  wife  of  a  priest,  Mary  was  her  inferior  in  station  as  well  as 
in  age.  8.  The  Magnificat  of  Mary,  borrows  many  expressions  from 
Leah,  Geti.  30:  10,  13,  and  Hannah,  i  Sam.  2:  i-io,  which  every  Is- 
raelite knew  by  heart;  but  she  enlarged  and  transfigured  these  ex- 
pressions. She  praises  God  for  his  great  goodness  (l)  in  permit- 
ting her  to  become  the  mother  of  the  Messiah  (vss.  46-49)  and  (2) 
in  fulfilling  to  his  people  his  ancient  prophecies    (vss.  50-55). 

75.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  As  in  the  case  of  Mary,  submission, 
obedience  and  faith  prove  our  fitness  for  higher  service.  2.  Moody 
said,  God  always  uses  the  one  nearest  him.  3.  Zwingli  (preaching 
in  the  church  at  Einsiedel,  which  claims  a  miraculous  picture  of 
Mary),  said,  "Not  to  Mary,  but  to  the  Son  of  Mary  you  must 
pray."  4.  When  Christ  is  born  in  man  spiritually,  the  method  is 
still :  "The  Holy  Spirit  shall  come  upon  thee."  5.  Birth,  money  and 
talent,  make  a  man  great  in  the  sight  of  man ;  but  humility  and 
obedience  in  the  sight  of  God  (Lu.  l:  15).  6.  Unbelief  and  dumb- 
ness are  like  cause  and  effect.  "I  believed,  therefore  have  I  spoken." 
7.  The  spirit  of  wine  is  a  bar  to  the  spirit  of  God.  8.  True  prayer, 
like  incense,  is  composed  of  the  sweet  spices  of  praise,  gratitude, 
petition,  confession,  intercession;  love  to  God  and  men,  faith  and 


Life  of  Christ.  6i 

hope.    9.  That  an  answer  is  delayed  is  no  sign  that  the  prayer  is 
unheard    (Goethe  "Hermann   and  Dorothea"). 

76.  Reference  Literature.  Sanford,  on  Immaculate  Conception, 
Image  Worship,  Mariolatry,  Angelus. — Andrews,  53-70;  Edersheim, 
Life  of  Christ,  Bk.  II,  Ch.  3,  p.  133-15S;  Geikie's  Life  of  Christ,  Ch. 
8;  Schuerer,  Jewish  People,  I.  A.  216;  Hasting's  Diet,  of  Christ  and 
the  Gospels  I,  p.  y6;  Orr's  and  Sweet's  books  on  the  Virgin  Birth; 
Gounod's  and  Schubert's  famous  music  to  "Ave  Maria;"  Kebler, 
"The  Annunciation,"  a  poem  in  his  Christian  Year;  Photographs  of 
Schick's  model  of  the  Temple;  Guide  Reni's,  Degers,  and  Hof man's 
paintings  of  "The  Annunciation;"  Liddon's  Sermons  on  the  Mag- 
nificat; Hast.  D.  of  C.  Asceticism  I,  128;  Hast.  D.  of  C.  Ave  Maria 
I,  159;  Hast.  D.  of  C.  Jesus  I,  859;  Edersheim,  The  Temple  and  its 
Ministry,  for  a  full  description  of  this  service. 

77.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Describe  Zacharias'  duty  in 
the  temple.  2.  Why  was  it  appropriate  that  the  angel  should  appear 
to  Zacharias  just  at  this  time  and  place?  (See  Ps.  50:23).  3.  Was 
the  sign  given  to  Zacharias  an  encouragement  or  a  rebuke?  4.  To 
what  kind  of  persons  does  God  reveal  his  will?  (Luke  1:6-13).  5. 
Nature  and  functions  of  angels  (Heb.  i:  14).  6.  Why,  in  spite  of 
these  annunciations,  is  Jesus  called  the  "Son  of  Joseph"  in  the 
N.  T.  ?  7.  Where  did  Luke  receive  the  information  for  his  first 
two  chapters? 

CHAPTER  12. 
The  Births  of  John  and  Jesus. 

Luke  1 :  57-2:  20;  Matt,  i :  18-25.     Harmony  8-10. 

78.  John's  Birth,  (i)  About  June  25,  B.  C.  5,  John 
was  born.  Elisabeth's  neighbors  and  kinsfolk  rejoiced  with 
her.  (2)  On  the  eighth  day  they  came  to  circumcise  the 
child,  and  would  have  called  him  Zacharias.  But  his 
mother,  whose  privilege  it  was  to  name  the  child,  said,  He 
shall  be  called  John.  (3)  They  said,  There  is  none  of  thy 
kindred  that  is  called  by  this  name,  and  made  signs  to  his 
father,  what  he  would  have  him  called.  He  wrote,  and 
said,  his  name  is  John,  and  they  marvelled  all,  but  he  blessed 
God.  (4)  All  these  sayings  were  noised  abroad  through- 
out all  the  hill  country  of  Judea,  and  all  that  heard  them 


62  Life  of  Christ. 

said,  What  then  shall  this  child  be?  (5)  Zacharias  was 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  prophesied  in  the  words  of 
the  Benedictus,  saying,  Blessed  be  the  Lord,  the  God  of 
Israel,  for  he  hath  visited  and  wrought  redemption  for  his 
people.  (6)  The  child  grew  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit, 
and  was  in  the  desert  of  Judsea,  west  of  the  Dead  Sea,  until 
the  day  of  his  showing  unto  Israel. 

79.  The  Birth  of  Jesus,  (i)  In  those  days  (Autumn, 
B.  C.  5),  there  went  out  a  decree  from  Caesar  Augustus  that 
all  the  world  should  be  enrolled.  This  was  the  first  en- 
rollment made  when  Quirinius  was  governor  of  Syria.  (2) 
All  went  to  enroll  themselves  every  one  to  his  own  city. 
And  Joseph  also  went  up  from  Galilee  to  Bethlehem  to  en- 
roll himself  and  with  him  went  Mary,  who  was  betrothed 
to  him.  (3)  While  they  were  there  she  brought  forth  her 
first-born  son;  and  wrapped  him  in  swaddling  clothes  and 
laid  him  in  a  manger  because  there  was  no  room  for  them 
in  the  inn.  (4)  And  there  were  shepherds  in  the  field,  and 
an  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  them,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  shone  round  about  them,  and  they  were  sore  afraid. 
The  angel  said,  be  not  afraid,  for  I  bring  you  good  tidings 
of  great  joy  which  shall  be  to  all  people,  for  there  is  born 
to  you  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ 
the  Lord.  And  this  is  a  sign  unto  you,  ye  shall  find  a  babe 
wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes  and  lying  in  a  manger.  (5) 
Suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the 
heavenly  host,  praising  God  and  saying.  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest  and  on  earth,  peace  among  men,  in  whom  he  is  well 
pleased.  (6)  When  the  angels  went  away  from  them,  the 
shepherds  said,  let  us  now  go  to  Bethlehem  and  see  this 
thing  which  has  come  to  pass.  They  came  with  haste  and 
found  Mary  and  Joseph  and  the  babe.  On  the  way  they 
made  known  the  saying  which  was  spoken  unto  them  about 
this  child,  and  all  wondered  at  the  things.  (7)  But  Alary 
kept  all  these  sayings,  pondering  them  in  her  heart.  (8) 
The  shepherds  returned,  glorifying  and  praising  God,  for 
all  the  things  they  had  heard  and  seen. 


Life  of  Christ.  63 

80.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources  of 
the  chapter.  2.  Locate  places  on  the  map;  memorize  Lu.  2:  11.  3. 
The  origin  of  circumcision  among  the  Jews  dates  from  God's  cove- 
nant with  Abraham  (Gen.  7).  By  it  a  boy  was  officially  enrolled 
as  a  member  of  the  Hebrew  nation  (For  the  law  see  Lev.  12:  3).  4. 
John  became  a  Nazarite  (derived  from  "Nazar"  to  separate),  one 
who  vowed  not  to  taste  intoxicants  or  cut  his  hair  (Num.  6:  1-21). 
Other  Nazarites  were  Samson  and  Samuel.  That  Paul  was  one 
(Acts  18:  18)  is  a  mere  conjecture.  The  Nazarites  were  ascetics, 
i.  e.  men  who  abstained  from  things  lawful  in  themselves  (food, 
wine,  marriage,  etc.)  for  the  purpose  of  attaining  a  higher  stage  of 
personal  hoHness.  5.  According  to  Josephus  there  were  many  pious 
Jews,  who  disgusted  with  the  corruption  of  the  times,  retired  to 
the  deserts  where  they  became  teachers  of  divine  things,  and 
gathered  about  them  many  disciples.  The  case  of  John  was  there- 
fore not  an  unusual  one.  6.  On  the  time  of  Christ's  birth  see 
"Chronology,"  II51.  7.  On  Caesar  Augustus,  see  1|i8.  8.  Bethlehem 
("House  of  Bread")  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  eastern  slope  of 
a  limestone  ridge  overlooking  the  wheat  fields  of  Boas.  It  is  cover- 
ed with  terraces  and  filled  with  vines  and  fruit  trees.  The  city  is 
six  miles  south  of  Jerusalem.  Its  population  is  from  5,000  to  8,000. 
9.  The  castle-like  Church  of  the  Nativity  is  said  to  have  been  built 
by  the  Empress  Helena,  mother  of  Constantine  the  Great,  in  A.  D. 
330,  and  is  the  oldest  church  in  Christendom.  Much  of  the  original 
construction  still  remains.  The  nave  has  44  fine  stone  pillars  but 
is  bare  and  cheerless.  It  is  occupied  by  the  Greeks  and  Armenians. 
The  transcepts  and  choir  which  are  of  very  large  proportions, 
are  in  charge  of  the  Latins,  and  are  richly  ornamented  with  gifts 
of  kings  and  queens.  10.  On  each  side  of  the  choir  are  steps 
leading  to  the  Cave  of  the  Nativity,  which  is  under  the  altar 
and  is  about  40  feet  long,  and  12  broad  and  10  high.  It  is  paved 
with  marble  and  lighted  by  32  lamps.  It  is  held  in  great  veneration. 
The  tradition  that  this  is  the  place  of  Christ's  birth  reaches  back 
to  at  least  140  A.  D..  We  find  it  first  reported  by  Justin  Martyr 
in  his  "Dialogue  with  Tryphon."  It  was  confirmed  by  Jerome  who 
spent  thirty  years  of  his  life  (370  to  400)  in  a  cavern  near  Beth- 
lehem, where  he  made  his  translation  of  the  Scriptures  known  as 
the  "Vulgate."  In  this  cave  we  find  to  this  day  the  form  of  a  star 
and  the  Latin  inscription,  "Hie  de  virgine  Maria  Jesus  Christus 
natus  est."  ("Here  Jesus  Christ  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary"). 
II.  Swaddling  clothes,"  were  long  bands  of  cloth,  in  which  then  as 
now  in  the  east  a  babe  was  tightly  wrapped,  arms  and  all,  for  the 
first  forty  days  after  its  birth. 

81.  I.  Schneller,   a  native  of   Palestine,   in  his   "Kennst  du   das 


64  Life  of  Christ. 

Land"  holds  that  Joseph's  home  had  always  been  Bethlehem,  and 
that  he  was  a  "tekton"  (Matt.  12:55),  a  house  builder,  a  mason, 
rather  than  a  carpenter.  As  such  he  went  wherever  he  found 
work,  exactly  as  the  builders  of  Bethlehem  still  do  to-day.  Work- 
ing for  a  season  at  Nazareth,  he  met  Mary  and  was  betrothed  to 
her;  his  intention  to  take  her  to  his  home  city  was  precipitated  by 
the  decree  concerning  the  census ;  they  went  to  B.  with  a  view  of 
staying  there,  for  after  the  Presentation  they  returned  to  B.  and 
would  also  have  done  so  on  their  return  from  Egypt  if  they  had 
not  feared  Archelaus.  2.  An  "inn"  (khan)  is  a  low  structure  built 
of  rough  stones  and  generally  only  a  single  story  in  height,  form- 
ing a  square  enclosure  for  the  cattle  and  arched  recesses  for  travel- 
ers. 3.  Schneller  contends  that  the  place  where  Joseph  and  Mary 
stopped  was  not  the  public  "inn,"  but  some  private  house,  for  the 
Greek  word  "Batalyma"  means  simply  "stopping  place,"  while  the 
word  for  a  public  inn  is  "Pandocheion."  The  legend  that  Christ 
was  born  in  "a  stable,"  he  says,  arose  from  the  fact  that  a  manger 
is  mentioned.  But  this  is  sufficiently  explained  by  the  Oriental 
custom  that  very  often  men  and  beasts  live  close  together  under 
one  roof.  4.  If,  as  is  said,  the  flocks  at  Bethlehem  were  destined 
for  Temple  sacrifices,  these  men  cannot  be  regarded  as  ordinary 
shepherds.  The  site  is  now  occupied  by  a  few  delapidated  houses, 
called  the  "Village  of  the  Shepherds." 

82.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Lives  of  usefulness  are  commonly 
traceable  to  pious  parents  (Lu.  1:6  and  15  to  17).  2.  Inability  to 
speak  publicly  for  God  is  no  sure  sign  that  the  heart  is  not  right 
with  God.  (Lu.  1:22).  3.  What  shall  the  child  be?  A  blessing 
or  a  curse?  Every  birth  is  an  occasion  for  joy  and  hope  but  also 
for  fear  and  awe.  4.  "No  man  prepares  for  an  emergency  in  a  mo- 
ment. What  he  is  in  an  emergency  is  determined  by  what  he  has 
been  habitually  for  a  long  time.  This  in  turn  will  determine  his 
future"  (Lu.  1:80).  Bosworth.  5.  Imitate  the  Shepherds:  they 
heard,  went,  found,  made  known,  returned  to  work  praising  God. 
6.  No  room  in  the  inn.  No  rudeness  was  meant  but  only  indiffer- 
ence. So  it  is  to-day.  Every  chamber  of  our  soul  is  already 
crowded  with  wealth,  pleasure  and  business.  Christ  is  crowded  out 
of  our  families,  politics,  business,  pleasure,  literature  and  even  of 
some  churches.  7.  The  incarnation  was  a  manifestation,  (1)  of 
God's  love  ("Jesus"  a  Saviour.  Imanuel — God  with  us).  (2)  Of 
his  wisdom  (He  came  not  as  God  or  an  angel).  (3)  Of  his  faith- 
fulness (all  was  "fulfilled"  concerning  place,  tribe,  etc.).  8.  A 
German  mystic  said :  Though  Christ  a  thousand  times  in  Bethlehem 
be  born.  If  he  is  not  born  in  thee,  thy  soul  is  all  forlorn.  The  cross 
of  Golgotha  thou  lookest  to  in  vain,  Unless  within  thyself  it  be  set 


Life  of  Christ.  65 

up  again.  9.  Christmas  (from  the  Christ — Mass  read  at  midnight 
of  Dec.  25)  ;  German  "Weihnacht,"  from  weihen  (consecrate)  and 
night.     The   festival  can  1)e  traced  back  to  about  300  A.D. 

83.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  i ;  Andrews,  70-88 ; 
Stalker,  Ch.  i.  Consult  a  good  Diet,  of  the  Bible,  on  "Inn."  Eder- 
sheim,  Life  of  Christ  II,  6.  Geikie,  Life  of  Christ,  9.  Ramsey,  W. 
M. — "Was  Christ  Born  at  Bethlehem?"  For  some  of  the  early 
legends  concerning  the  birth  and  childhood  of  Jesus  see  "Protevan- 
gelium  of  James,"  and  the  "Gospel  of  Thomas."  For  the  Jewish 
calumnies,  see  Laible  ("Jesus  Christ"  in  Talmud,  9  to  39)  and 
Jewish  Encycl.  under  "Jesus."  Virgil,  in  the  fourth  Eclogs  says 
that  a  child  from  Heaven  was  looked  for  who  should  retore  the 
Golden  Age  and  take  away,  sin.  Longfellow's  Golden  Legend  gives 
specimens  of  Apocryphal  stories.  Sermons  by  F.  W.  Robertson  on 
the  early  development  of  Jesus.  A  tradition  says  that  a  Sibylle  ap- 
peared to  Caesar  Augustus  at  the  Temple  of  Jupiter  Capitolinus  and' 
announced  to  him  Christ's  birth.  On  the  site  of  that  temple  there 
stands  to-day  the  church  Ara  Caeli,  with  the  "Bambino,"  (Baedeker, 
Ital.  p.  250),  a  gorgeously  clad  image  of  the  Divine  infant  carved 
in  Jerusalem  from  the  wood  of  an  olive  tree  taken  from  Geth- 
semane  in  the  15th  century.  Birth  and  Infancy  of  Christ  by  L.  M. 
Sweet.  Pictures:  "Holy  Night"  (Corrigio,  Dresden);  "Birth  of 
Jesus"  by  Murillo  (Vatican)  ;  "Madonna"  Raphael  (Dresden)  ;  "Ben 
Hur,"  first  pages.  Beautiful  Hymns:  "Oh,  little  town  of  Bethle- 
hem," Phillips  Brooks ;  "It  came  upon  the  midnight  clear,"  by  Sears ; 
"Stille  Nacht,"  Adeste  fideles ! 

84.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Quote  the  first  gospel  sermon 
(Lu.  2:11).  2.  What  does  the  word  "gospel"  mean,  who  used  it 
first  and  why  is  the  term  applied  to  the  Christian  message  (Luke 
2:10).  3.  What  is  meant  by  the  Incarnation?  4.  Why  was  the 
birth  of  Jesus  a  cause  of  great  joy?  5.  Show  from  Mary's  song 
what  kind  of  a  person  she  expected  her  son  to  be. 


66  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  13. 

The  Infancy  of  Jesus. 

Lu.  2:21-39;  Matt.  2:  1-23.     Harmony  11-14. 

85.  Circumcision.  On  Jan.  i,  A.  D.  4,  when  Christ 
was  eight  days  old,  he  was  circumcised  and  his  name  was 
called  Jesus. 

86.  Presentation  in  the  Temple.  ( i )  When  Jesus  was 
forty  days  old,  about  Feb.,  B.  C.  4,  his  parents  brought  him 
to  Jerusalem  to  present  him  to  the  Lord  (because  he  was 
the  first-born  son),  and  to  offer  a  sacrifice, — a  pair  of  turtle 
doves  or  two  young  pigeons.  (2)  There  was  a  man  in  Jeru- 
salem whose  name  was  Simeon:  he  was  righteous,  devout, 
looking  for  the  consolation  of  Israel :  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  upon  him.  It  was  revealed  to  him  that  he  should  not 
see  death  till  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ.  (3)  When 
he  came  into  the  Temple,  and  there  met  the  parents  with 
the  child  Jesus,  he  received  him  into  his  arms,  blessed  God 
and  spoke  the  "Nunc  Dimittis,"  Now  lettest  thou  thy  ser- 
vant depart,  O  Lord,  according  to  thy  word,  in  peace,  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation.  (4)  His  parents  mar- 
velled at  these  sayings.  Simeon  blessed  them  and  said  to 
Mary,  This  child  is  set  for  the  falling  and  rising  of  many  in 
Israel  and  for  a  sign  which  is  spoken  against.  And  a  sword 
shall  pierce  through  thy  soul.  (5)  Also  Anna,  a  prophetess, 
coming  up  at  that  very  hour,  gave  thanks  unto  God  and 
spake  of  him  to  all  them  that  were  looking  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  Jerusalem. 

87.  Visit  of  the  Wise  Men.  (i)  Soon  after  the  pre- 
sentation, about  Feb.,  B.  C.  4,  wise  men  from  the  East  came 
to  Jerusalem  saying,  Where  is  he  that  is  born  King  of  the 
Jews,  for  we  saw  his  star  in  the  East  and  are  come  to  wor- 
ship him.  (2)  When  Herod  the  Great  heard  this,  he  was 
troubled  and  all  Jerusalem  with  him.  Gathering  together 
all  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  he  enquired  where  the  Christ 


Life  of  Christ.  *  67 

should  be  born.  They  said,  In  Bethlehem  of  Judea,  for 
thus  it  is  written  through  the  prophet  Micah.  (3)  Then 
Herod  privily  called  the  wise  men  and  learned  of  them  ex- 
actly what  time  the  star  appeared.  And  he  sent  them  to 
Bethlehem  and  said,  search  out  exactly  concerning  the 
young  child  and  when  you  have  found  him  bring  me  word 
that  I  also  may  come  and  worship  him.  (4)  They  went 
their  way  and  the  star  went  before  them,  till  it  stood  over 
where  the  child  was.  They  went  into  the  house,  saw  the 
child  with  Mary,  fell  down  and  worshipped  him  and  offered 
unto  him  gold,  frankincense  and  myrrh  (the  customary 
gifts  of  subject  nations,  Gen.  43:11;  I  Kings  9:2-10). 
(5)  Being  warned  of  God  in  a  dream  that  they  should  not 
return  to  Herod  they  departed  into  their  own  country  an- 
other way. 

88.  Flight  into  Egypt  and  Slaughter  of  the  Innocents. 
( I )  When  they  were  departed,  an  angel  appeared  to  Joseph 
in  a  dream,  saying.  Arise  and  take  the  child  and  his  mother 
and  flee  into  Egypt  and  be  thou  there  until  I  tell  thee.  For 
Herod  will  seek  the  child  to  destroy  him.  He  did  so  and 
remained  there  until  the  death  of  Herod.  (2)  When  Herod 
saw  that  he  was  mocked  of  the  wise  men,  he  was  exceeding 
angry  and  slew  all  the  male  children  in  and  around  Beth- 
lehem, from  two  years  old  and  under,  according  to  the  time 
which  he  had  exactly  learned  of  the  wise  men.  (3)  When 
Herod  was  dead,  about  March,  B.  C.  4,  an  angel  appeared  in 
a  dream  to  Joseph,  saying.  Take  the  young  child  and  his 
mother  and  go  into  the  land  of  Israel,  for  they  are  dead 
that  sought  the  child's  life.  He  did  so,  but  when  he  heard 
that  Archaelaus  was  reigning  over  Judea,  he  was  afraid  to 
go  thither  and  being  warned  of  God  in  a  dream,  he  with- 
drew into  Galilee  and  dwelt  in  Nazareth. 

89.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources. 
especially  Lu.  2 139  with  Matt.  2 :  22.  Locate  the  places  on  the  map 
and  the  plan  of  the  temple;  memorize  Lu.  2:29.  2.  The  presenta- 
tion of  the  first  born  male  child  was  made  on  the  forty-first  day 
after  the  birth  (Lev.  12:  i-8).  for  a  two-fold  purpose:   (a)   for  th-j 


68  Life  of  Christ. 

mother's  purification  from  legal  or  ceremonial  uncleanness.  If 
the  woman  was  rich,  she  brought  a  lamb  for  a  sacrifice,  if  poor 
either  two  doves  or  two  pigeons,  each  pair  costing  about  i6  cents. 
One  of  these  was  for  a  sin  offering  in  view  of  the  ceremonial  defile- 
ment, the  other  for  a  burnt  offering  to  restore  fellowship  with  the 
Lord.  Mary  brought  the  offering  of  the  poor,  which  fact  indirect- 
!}•  confirms  the  view  that  the  Magi  with  their  rich  gifts  came  after 
the  Presentation,  (b)  The  child  was  l^rought  into  the  temple  also 
for  the  purpose  of  redeeming  him  from  priestly  service.  When 
Jehovah  destroyed  all  the  first  born  sons  of  Egypt  and  spared  all 
the  first  born  of  Israel,  he  ordained  that  this  fact  should  be  kept 
in  everlasting  remembrance  by  the  consecration  of  the  first  born 
son  of  every  Israelite  to  his  own  special  service,  Ex.  13:2.  When 
later  the  tribe  of  Levi  had  been  especially  set  apart  for  the  priest- 
hood (Num.  8)  he  allowed  the  first-born  of  the  other  tribes  to  be 
redeemed  from  the  priestly  service.  This  was  done,  first,  by  the 
presentation  of  the  son  in  the  Temple,  by  which  act  God's  ownership 
was  recognized  and  second,  by  the  payment  of  five  shekels  (a  shekel 
was  variously  estimated  at  from  50-80  cents)  in  exchange  for  the 
son.  3.  The  presentation  in  the  time  of  Jesus  took  place  at  the 
magnificent  Nicanor  Gate,  beyond  which  women  were  not  allowed 
to  go.  4.  Simon's  conception  of  .the  Messiah  was  more  universal 
and  spiritual  than  that  of  most  religious  leaders  of  that  day.  He 
believed  (a)  that  the  Gentiles  are  to  share  in  the  Messianic  glory, 
(b)  That  the  Messiah  will  be  a  sufferer,  not  an  earthly  king;  (c) 
that  he  will  not  meet  popular  expectation.  Many  will  stumble  over 
him  and  this  opposition  will  be  like  a  sword  in  the  mother's  heart. 
5.  Luke  2:  39  does  not  contradict  Matthew  2:  22.  Luke  had  said  all 
he  intended  to  say  on  the  infancy  of  Jesus  and  he  closes  with  the 
general  statement  that  Christ  passed  his  early  youth  and  manhood 
at  Nazareth,  and  not  in  Bethlehem.  Either  he  did  not  know  the 
story  of  the  wise  men  or  decided  not  to  incorporate  it  in  his  life  of 
Christ. 

90.  I.  The  Magi  zvere  a  tribe  of  the  Medcs,  similar  to  the  Levites, 
to  whom  were  entrusted  all  the  priestly  functions,  chief  features 
of  which  were  the  study  of  astrology  and  the  interpretation  ot 
dreams.  They  were  the  repositories  of  whatever  science,  philos- 
ophy, medical  skill,  and  religious  mysteries  the  Eastern  people  had. 
They  came  from  a  country  outside  of  the  Roman  Empire,  either 
Media,  Arabia,  or  Persia.  2.  The  Magi  no  doubt  received  from  the 
Jews  in  the  Eastern  dispersion  their  knowledge  of  the  Jewish  Mes- 
sianic hopes,  especially  of  the  prophecy  of  Baalam  (Num.  24:  17), 
and  Daniel.  They  shared  the  general  expectation  in  the  East  at  this 
time  that  a  great  King  should  be  born  in  Judea  to  rule  the  world. 


Life  of  Christ.  69 

This  rumor  is  even  mentioned  by  the  Roman  historian  Sueton  ius  in 
his  Life  of  Vespasian  (ch.  4),  and  by  Tacitus,  in  his  History,  v.  13. 
3.  On  the  star  see  II51,  (4).  4-  The  behef  that  the  Magi  were 
kings,  3  in  number,  named  Casper,  Melchior  and  Balthasar,  and  the 
notion  of  "Ben  Hur"  that  they  represented  Asia,  Europe  and  Africa 
have  no  basis  in  history.  The  names  and  number  v^^ere  perhaps  taken 
from  one  of  the  medieval  "Mystery  and  Miracle  Plays."  5.  To 
commemorate  this  event,  the  festival  of  Epiphany  ("Appearance") 
has  been  inserted  in  the  church  calendar  on  January  6th,  and  the 
Sundays  following  have  been  named  after  this  day.  6.  The  fa- 
mous Cathedral  of  Cologne  in  Germany  claims  to  possess  the  bones 
of  the  Magi.  7.  The  slaughter  of  the  children  has  been  called  into 
question,  but  it  is  in  perfect  keeping  with  Herod's  otherwise  well 
known  extremely  savage  character.  On  this  point  Josephus  says, 
"He  was  brutish,  and  a  stranger  to  all  humanities."  It  was  only 
one  and  by  no  means  the  greatest  of  his  crimes.  He  caused  the 
murder  of  his  wife,  Mariamne  and  his  three  sons.  And  knowing 
that  the  Jews  would  rejoice  over  his  death,  he  had  thousands  of 
the  most  promient  Jews  imprisoned  in  the  circus  at  Jericho  and 
gave  secret  orders  that  immediately  after  his  death  they  should  be 
killed,  so  that  at  least  they  and  their  friends  might  have  cause  to 
weep  for  his  death.  The  order  was  not  executed.  When  Herod's 
death  was  announced,  his  sister  set  all  the  prisoners  free.  Play- 
ing on  the  Greek  words,  Emperor  Augustus  said  "He  would  rather 
be  the  "hus"  (swine)  of  Herod  than  his  "huios"  (son),  for  being 
a  Jew,  he  would  not  kill  a  swine.  8.  Rachel  was  the  patron  saint 
of  Bethlehem,  because  she  died  and  was  buried  near  the  city.  (Gen. 
35:16-20).  9.  The  church  regarded  the  "innocents"  of  Bethlehem 
as  the  first  martyrs  and  placed  their  names  in  the  church  calendar, 
on  Dec.  26.  10.  The  flight  involved  a  journey  of  at  least  225  miles. 
if  the  tradition  is  true  that  the  holy  family  abode  in  the  Jewish 
colony  at  Memphis.  11.  Galilee  and  Perea  under  Herod  Antipas, 
a  son  of  Herod  the  Great,  were  better  ruled  than  Judea  where 
Archelaus  continued  the  oppressive  policy  of  his  father.  For  in- 
stance, not  long  after  his  accession  he  killed  3,000  Jews,  in  the  Tem- 
ple, at  the  Passover  (Jos.  Bell.  Jud.  H,  i,  3),  and  later  he  killed 
many  Samaritans   (Jos.  B.  J.   117-3;  Ant.   17,  9,  3). 

91.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Christ  is  the  tester  of  men's  hearts. 
2.  Simeon,  a  type  of  God-fearing  old  age,  (a)  the  spirit  his  guide, 
(b)  faith  his  comfort,  (c)  the  Saviour  his  joy,  (d)  heaven  his  de- 
sire. 3.  H  Simeon  and  Anna  had  not  been  constant  attendants 
at  the  temple  they  would  have  missed  the  greatest  experience  of 
their  lives.  4.  It  is  not  for  lack  of  God's  help  that  men  do  not 
find    Christ,    but    lack    of    sincere    purpose   on    their    part.     5.  The 


/O  Life  of  Christ. 

scribes  were  like  guide  posts  showing  the  way  but  not  following  it, 
a  warning  to  all  religious  teachers.  6.  The  Magi  were  led  by  a 
sign  suited  to  their  peculiar  mode  of  life.  God  speaks  to  every 
man  in  the  language  which  he  best  understands.  7.  The  signifi- 
cance of  this  story  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  a  symbol  of  what  was 
to  take  place  on  a  larger  scale,  in  the  centuries  to  come.  Israel 
rejected  the  Messiah  and  the  Gentiles  received  him.  8.  Wicked  men 
are  troubled  by  that  which  brings  hope  to  the  world :  by  preaching, 
revivals,  moral  reforms.  Here  is  a  test  of  our  character.  9.  Those 
are  the  truly  wise  men  who  use  their  learning  to  find  God.  10. 
How  often  the  very  persons  who  live  nearest  to  the  means  of  grace 
are  those  who  neglect  them  most.  11.  The  slaughter  of  the  inno- 
cents by  modern  Herod's  is  still  going  on,  physically,  morally,  relig- 
iously, by  neglect,  ignorance,  cruelty,  fashions,  over-work  in  fac- 
tories, bad  company,  saloons,  cigarettes,  bad  examples,  harmful 
reading,  low  amusements,  unclean  habits,  gross  immorality.  12. 
Children  have  their  guardian  angels  in  the  persons  of  faithful  par- 
ents, teachers,  friends,  pastors.  Christian  spirit  in  the  family,  good 
literature,  pure  amusements,  religious  atmosphere,  good  state  laws, 
good  personal  habits  and  local  customs.  13.  Types  of  four  classes 
of  men:  (i)  Those  who  earnestly  seek  the  truth;  (2)  those  who 
rest  in  the  mere  knowledge  of  the  truth;  (3)  those  who  are  fear- 
fully alarmed  at  the  truth;  (4)  those  who  are  happy  possessors  of 
the  truth.  14.  Despotism  drives  the  best  people  from  the  land. 
( Archelaus ;  later,  the  Huguenots,  Puritans,  the  German  Palatines 
to  Pennsylvania).  15.  Herod  a  type  of  men  who  try  to  suppress 
religion  by  cunning  or  force. 

92.  Reference  Literature.  Stalker,  Ch.  i,  9;  Farrar,  Ch.  2,  3, 
4;  Andrews  89-108.  Paintings:  Simeon,  by  Dobson;  the  Magi,  by, 
Hofman,  and  Pfannschmidt;  E.  Frommel,  Epiphanien,  Christoterpe, 
1882.  Wallace,  "Ben  Hur,"  Ch.  1-5;  Edersheim,  Ch.  8;  On  "Un- 
conscious Prophecy  of  Heathendom;"  Trench's  "Christ,"  the  De- 
sire of  all  Nations;  Herod's  career  and  end  are  well  illustrated  by 
Shakespeare's  "Richard  HI."  On  Herod's  last  days,  see  Josephus 
Antiquities,  XVH,  6,  8.  On  the  ministration  of  the  angels,  Beecher's 
Life  of  Christ,  p.  39.  Legends  tells  us  that  on  the  way  to  Egypt, 
the  dragons,  lions  and  leopards,  adored  Jesus,  the  palm  trees  bowed 
down  to  give  them  dates  and  all  the  idols  fell  from  their  pedestals 
when  he  entered  the  country.  On  Luke  2 :  32,  see  Byrant's  Library 
of  Poetry  and  Song,  p.  389,  "Edwin  and  Paulinius."  On  the  Pre- 
sentation :  E.  M.  Myers'  The  Jews,  their  Customs  and  Ceremonies, 
p.  38;  Edersheim,  The  Temple  and  its  Services.  One  of  Dr.  Chal- 
mer's  famous  "Astronomical  Discourses"  answers  the  objection  to 
the  coming  of  the  Son  of  God,  derived  from  the  greatness  of  the 
universe;  Kobertson's  sermons  on  the  "Star  of  the  East." 


Life  of  Christ.  yi 

93.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Why  was  Christ  subjected  to 
circumcision?  (Gal.  4:4).  2.  What  did  Simeon  see  in  the  Messiah 
that  others  had  not  seen?  (Luke  2:32,  34,  35).  3.  Why  did  God 
guide  the  Magi  by  the  star  instead  of  by  an  angel?  4.  Why  did  the 
star  lead  them  first  to  Jerusalem?  '  5.  Why  did  Herod  become  so 
nervous?  6.  What  names  and  titles  are  here  applied  to  Jesus?  7. 
How  does  God  guide  men  now?  8.  How  do  Luke  and  Matt,  dif- 
fer in  their  account  of  the  movements  of  Christ's  parents  after  the 
presentation  ? 

CHAPTER  14. 
Early  Life  in  Nazareth. 

Luke  2:39-52;  Matt.  2:23.     Harmony  15-17. 

94.  Childhood.  The  child  Jesus  grew,  waxed  strong, 
was  filled  with  wisdom  and  the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him. 

The  Boy  Jesus  in  the  Temple.  According  to  the  law, 
Jesus'  parents  went  every  year  to  Jerusalem  to  the  passover. 
When  he  was  twelve  years  old,  they  took  him  along  (April 
8,  A.  D.  8).  When  they  were  returning,  Jesus  tarried  be- 
hind in  Jerusalem,  but  his  parents  knew  it  not.  They 
missed  him,  but  supposing  him  to  be  in  the  company  ahead 
of  them,  they  went  a  day's  journey  and  sought  him  among 
their  kinsfolk  and  acquaintances.  When  they  found  him 
not,  they  returned  to  Jerusalem  seeking  him.  After  three 
days  they  found  him  in  the  Temple,  sitting  in  the  midst  ot 
the  teachers,  hearing  them  and  asking  them  questions.  And 
all  that  heard  him  were  amazed  at  his  understanding  and 
his  answers.  When  his  parents  saw  him,  they  were  astonish- 
ed ;  and  his  mother  said.  Son,  why  hast  thou  thus  dealt  with 
us?  Behold  thy  father  and  I  sought  thee  sorrowing.  He 
said  unto  them.  How  is  that  ye  sought  me?  Know  ye  not 
that  I  must  be  in  my  Father's  house  ?  They  understood  not 
the  saying  which  he  spake  unto  them,  but  his  mother  kept 
all  these  sayings  in  her  heart. 

95.  Eighteen  Years  of  Silence  and  Growth.  Jesus 
went  with  his  parents  to  Nazareth,  was  subject  unto  them, 


yi  Life  of  Christ. 

advanced  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and 
men. 

96.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  the  sources,  locate  the  places; 
memorize  Lu.  2:49.  2.  Christ's  development  (Luke  2:40,  52), 
shows  how  real  and  normal  a  life  he  lived.  He  grew  physically, 
intellectually,  and  spiritually,  not  out  of  sin,  but  into  goodness. 
Growth  is  no  sign  of  imperfection.  A  tree  has  in  each  stage  of  its 
development  its  own  characteristic  perfectness.  3.  Education. 
Jesus'  teachers  were  God,  the  Bible,  nature,  his  godly  parents,  his 
teachers,  his  visits  to  Jerusalem.  4.  Jewish  method  of  child  train- 
ing: (a)  As  soon  as  Jewish  children  could  talk  they  were  made 
to  commit  the  "Shema,"  the  Jewish  creed  consisting  of  19  verses 
from  Deut.  6:4-9;  11:13-21;  Num.  15:. 37-41,  and  named  from 
the  first  Hebrew  word,  as  our  Creed,  from  "credo,"  and  as  they 
grew  older  (boys  at  least)  were  taught  to  write  them  out.  (b) 
When  six  years  of  age  boys  were  sent  to  school,  which  in  most 
cases  were  attached  to  the  synagogues  in  town  (Luke  4:20).  Com- 
pulsory attendance  upon  schools,  according  to  the  Talmud,  dates 
from  the  famous  Rabbi  Simon  Ben  Shatach,  the  brother  of  queen 
Alexandria  (about  75  B.  C).  From  this  we  infer  that  Jesus  as  a 
child  also  attended  the  village  school  of  Nazareth,  (c)  There 
were  institutions  of  higher  learning  in  Jerusalem,  corresponding 
somewhat  to  our  theological  and  law  schools,  but  these  he  never 
attended,  John  7:15.  (d)  Besides,  the  education  at  school,  the 
Jewish  child  was  educated  in  his  father's  house,  in  the  synagogue 
and  the  workshop,  (e)  The  character  of  education  among  the  Jews 
was  exclusively  religious  and  patriotic,  its  aim  being  to  stimulate 
the  conscience  and  engrave  upon  it  the  law  of  God.  (f)  As  was 
the  custom,  Jesus  followed  the  trade  of  his  father.  The  Talmud 
says,  "On  the  father  lies  the  task  of  circumcising  his  son,  of  in- 
structing him  in  the  law,  of  teaching  him  a  craft;  for  not  to  teach 
him  a  trade,  is  to  teach  him  to  steal."  So  Jesus  is  called  a  "tekton," 
Mk.  6:3,  not  a  carpenter,  as  the  Oriental  houses  were  built  of 
stone  (see  Schneller  "Kennst  du  das  Land,"  Ch.  7).  4.  Language. 
The  mother  tongue  of  Jesus  was  Aramaic.  He  no  doubt  understood 
classical  Hebrew,  for  although  at  his  time  it  was  a  dead  language, 
it  was  familiar  to  the  Palestinian  Jews.  It  is  almost  certain  that  he 
knew  Greek  for  he  seems  to  have  spoken  to  non-Jews  (Greeks, 
Pilate,  centurion)   without  an  interpreter. 

97.  Christ's  Brothers  and  Sisters,  (a)  In  Mk.  6:3  and  Matt. 
13:55  four  brothers  are  mentioned  by  name:  James,  Joseph,  Simon 
and  Judas  or  Jude.  (b)  Two  of  these,  James  and  Jude,  became 
influential   in    the   early   Christian    church.     Roth    were   authors   of 


Life  of  Christ.  73 

epistles,  and  James  was  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  (c)  Sisters  are  also 
mentioned,  but  neither  the  number  nor  the  names  are  given.  The 
plural  in  Matt.  13:56  however,  implies  more  than  one  (Consult 
Matt.  12:46-50;  13:55-56;  Mk.  3:31;  Luke  8:  19;  John  2:  12;  7:3; 
Acts  1:14;  I  Cor.  9:5;  Gal.  1:19)-  (d)  In  what  relation  did 
these  stand  to  Christ?  There  are  three  theories,  known  by  the 
names  of  their  original  or  chief  advocates:  (i)  The  cousin  or 
Hieronymian  theory;  (2)  the  half-brother,  or  Epiphanian ;  (3) 
the  full-brother  of  Helvidian  theory,  (i)  The  Cousin  theory. 
Jerome  (died  420)  held  that  the  so-called  brothers  of  the  Lord 
were  really  his  cousins,  i.  e.  children  of  Mary,  the  sister  of  the 
Virgin,  and  Alpheus,  or  Clopas ;  and  that  two  of  them,  James  and 
Jude,  became  his  apostles.  Objections:  (i)  the  Greek  term  de- 
noting their  relation  is  always  "brothers  and  sisters"  and  never 
cousins  or  kinsman.  Sound  exegesis  must  hold  to  the  primary 
meaning  of  these  terms  until  compelled  to  depart  from  it.  (2)  The 
James  mentioned  in  Gal.  i :  19  is  not  called  an  apostle,  for  the 
correct  translation  of  that  passage  is :  "I  saw  none  other  of 
the  apostles;  but  I  saw  James  the  brother  of  the  Lord."  This 
places  James  in  contrast  to  the  apostles  and  excludes  him  from 
them.  (2)  The  half-brother  theory.  Epiphanias,  bishop  of  Sal- 
amis  in  Cyprus  (died  403),  held  that  Christ's  brothers  and  sisters 
were  children  of  Joseph  by  an  earlier  marriage.  This  is  possible, 
but  (i)  there  is  no  hint  of  it  in  the  N.  T.  (2)  If  Joseph  had  a 
son  older  than  Jesus,  that  one  would  have  been  the  heir  of  David 
and  the  N.  T.  argument  that  Jesus  was  the  son  of  David,  would 
lose  its  basis  and  force;  (3)  They  always  appear  in  connection 
with  Mary  as  her  children  and  younger  than  Jesus.  (4)  If  older 
than  Jesus,  their  continued  presence  with  Mary  is  very  unusual  as 
they  would  have  been  married  by  the  time  Jesus  was  about  30 
years  old.  (3)  The  full-brother  theory.  Helvidius,  a  layman, 
(living  about  380  at  Rome)  held  that  they  were  Jesus'  brothers  and 
sisters  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word.  We  favor  this  theory,  be- 
cause, (i)  it  takes  the  words  in  their  natural  meaning;  (2)  it  is  in 
harmony  with  Matt,  i :  25  and  Luke  2 :  7,  for  "firstborn"  implies  later 
born  children.  Against  this  view  the  Roman  Catholics  and  others 
raise  three  objections  :  Obj.  i.  It  is  derogatory  to  the  dignity  of  the 
Virgin  to  suppose  that  after  the  birth  of  Jesus,  she  bore  children 
to  Joseph  in  the  natural  way.  Answer :  This  would  degrade  Mary 
in  the  eyes  of  those  only  who,  contrary  to  the  teaching  of  the  Bible, 
(a)  regard  celibacy  as  a  higher  state  than  God-ordained  wedlock, 
and  who  (b)  hold  to  the  dogma,  of  the  "Immaculate  Conception  of 
Mary,"  (made  an  article  of  faith  on  Dec.  8,  1854  by  Pius  IX), 
which  dogma  asserts  that  Mary  "from  the  first  instant  of  her  con- 


/4  Life  of  Christ. 

ception  by  a  singular  grace  and  privilege  of  Almighty  God  was 
preserved  from  all  stain  of  original  sin."  The  "perpetual  virginity 
of  Mary"  is  based  on  a  mistaken  veneration  of  the  Virgin.  Obj. 
2.  Why  did  his  brothers  not  believe  on  him?  John  7:2.  If 
younger  than  he,  he  could  have  molded  their  character.  Answer : 
Their  attitude  was  one  of  doubt,  and  not  hostility.  Obj.  3.  Why 
did  Christ  on  the  cross  commit  Mary  to  John,  if  she  had  children 
living?  Answer:  (i)  Very  likely  the  brothers  were  not  present. 
(2)  John  was  Mary's  nephew.  (3)  He  was  Christ's  intimate  friend 
and  more  congenial  to  her  at  this  time  than  even  her  own  children 
(Andrews,  111-123). 

98.  I.  Object  of  the  stated  attendance  at  the  Feasts:  (a)  Pro- 
motion of  the  unity  of  the  people,  (b)  Awakening  of  religious 
life  by  means  of  large,  enthusiastic  meetings,  (c)  Sociability.  2. 
The  twelfth  year  being  in  Israel  the  dividing  line  between  child- 
hood and  youth,  marked  a  solemn  period  in  the  life  of  the  young 
Israelite.  At  that  age  he  was  "confirmed"  by  being  presented  by 
his  father  to  the  elders  in  the  home  synagogue,  who  examined  him 
as  to  his  religious  knowledge,  blessed  him  and  declared  him  a  "son 
of  the  law."  This  made  him  a  full  member  of  the  Jewish  Church, 
bound  to  observe  the  law,  which  included  the  annual  visit  to  Jeru- 
salem at  the  three  great  feasts.  3.  This  incident  illustrates  the 
manner  in  which  the  consciousness  of  his  divine  nature,  of  his  pecu- 
liar relation  to  the  father,  and  of  his  mission  developed  itself  in  the 
mind  of  the  child.  4.  The  answer  to  his  mother  is  not  beyond  his 
tender  years ;  it  contains  a  presentiment  nourished  by  his  study  of 
the  O.  T.  5.  Jesus'  obedience  zvas  genuine,  there  was  no  theatrical 
posing  for  the  purpose  of  making  an  impression  of  piety.  6.  The 
attendance  of  women  at  the  great  feasts  was  not  required  by  the 
law.  7.  Here  is  the  last  mention  of  Joseph.  He  seems  to  have 
died  before  the  opening  of  Christ's  ministry.  8.  The  early  Chris- 
tians surprised  at  the  sobriety  of  the  canonical  gospels,  tried  to 
make  up  for  their  silence  by  composing  the  apocryphal  gospels  of 
the  Infancy  and  Youth  of  Jesus.     Read  some  of  them. 

99.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Every  child  should  be  trained  to  take 
an  interest  in  Bible  study,  and  should  be  taught,  not  by  lecture  only, 
but  mostly  by  questions  and  answers.  Also  encourage  them  to  ask 
questions.  2.  Parents  should  be  able  to  answer  the  question :  Where 
is  my  boy  to-night?  3.  The  places  one  freely  and  naturally  resorts 
to  are  an  index  to  ones  character.  4.  Children  should  never  go 
where  they  are  not  willing  to  have  parents  and  teachers  find  them. 
5.  The  best  parental  oversight  cannot  always  be  perfect.  6.  There 
is  value  in  great  religious  gatherings.  7.  Religion  makes  children 
obedient  to  parents  and  attractive  to  all.    8.  Conversion  belongs  al- 


LJfe  of  Christ.  75 

most  exclusively  to  the  years  between  10  and  25,  for  then  the 
ability  to  reason  arises.  After  25,  habits  of  thought  and  activity 
are  more  firmly  fixed.  Hence  train  up  the  child  when  young  in 
the  way  it  should  go.  9.  Cheerful  obedience  to  lawful  authority 
is  the  most  beautiful  feature  of  a  child's  character  and  a  great  safe- 
guard for  it.  It  has  also  an  enobling  effect  on  people  of  all  ages. 
ID.  Joseph's  and  Mary's  home  training:  (i)  their  method:  example, 
early  teaching,  taking  him  to  the  temple,  seeking  him  when  lost, 
reproof,  meditation  on  the  boy's  sayings.  (2)  The  result:  normal 
development  in  body,  mind,  feeling  and  will  power ;  obedience,  use- 
fulness in  later  years,  care  for  his  mother.  11.  The  boy  Jesus  an 
example  to  modern  boys:  (a)  in  his  love  for  God's  house,  (b)  His 
eagerness  to  learn  God's  word,  (c)  His  desire  to  do  God's  will 
("must"),  (d)  His  obedience  towards  his  parents.  12.  Parental 
rehgious  training  should  be  supplemented  by  S.  School  and  special 
pastoral   instructions. 

100.  Reference  Literature.  Ramsay,  Education  of  Jesus ;  Con- 
sult Bible  dictionaries  on  all  subjects.  Farrar,  Ch.  5,  6,  7;  Stalker, 
11-24;  Andrews,  108-123;  On  Child  Conversion,  see  Starbuck 
"Psychology  of  Religion,"  p.  21-36;  On  the  Brethren  of  Jesus,  Hast- 
ings B.  D.  I,  320;  Lightfoot,  Galatians,  pp.  252-291;  Smith,  New 
Testament  History,  p.  281 ;  On  the  methods  of  Jewish  teaching,  see 
Trumbull's  Yale  Lectures  on  the  Sunday  School ;  Bedeutung  der  30 
Jaehrigen  Stille,  Christoterpe,  1889;  Longfellow's  Golden  Legends 
gives  some  specimens  of  the  Apocryphal  stories  of  Jesus'  childhood. 
See  also  the  Apocryphal  New  Testament;  C.  Campbell  Morgan's 
The  Hidden  Years  at  Nazareth ;  Lew  Wallace's  Boyhood  of  Christ ; 
Sermon  by  Robertson,  Early  Development  of  Jesus ;  Thomas 
Hughes,  Manliness  of  Christ;  first  3  chaps.  Jesus,  the  Model  Child. 
Painting  by  Hofman. 

loi.  Questions  for  Discussion.  Why  do  some  Christians  so 
strenuously  assert  that  Jesus  had  no  real  brothers?  Why  did 
Jesus  attend  the  Passover  when  he  was  just  12  years  old?  Describe 
the  influences  among  which  Jesus  grew  up,  and  his  own  inner 
experiences:  (o)  home,  {b)  school,  (c)  synagogue,  (d)  Scripture, 
{e)  companions,  (/)  manual  labor,  (^g)  scenery  and  nature,  (/t) 
the  moral  condition  and  Messianic  hopes  of  the  people,  (f)  com- 
munion with  God,  (/)  thought  about  God  and  feeling  toward  him. 
{k)  thought  about  his  future  work.  In  what  sense  were  the  great 
feasts  in  Jerusalem  religious  revivals? 

102.     General  Review. 

I.  With  reference  to  the  entire  period  of  preparation,  state,  (a) 
length,  (b)  events  and  dates  of  its  beginning  and  end,  (c)  sources 


"''>  Life  of  Christ. 

of  information,  (d)  the  14  events  in  their  proper  order,  (e)  the 
leading  persons,  (f)  locate  the  places  on  the  map,  the  plan  of 
Jerusalem  and  of  the  Temple,  (g)  Name  and  locate  the  five  hymns 
recorded  by  Luke.  2.  Call  to  mind  the  four  announcements  of 
Christ's  coming  before,  and  the  four  after,  his  birth.  State  what 
classes  of  men  they  represented,  assign  a  reason  for  each.  Give 
the  names  applied  to  Jesus  and  how  much  of  his  nature  and  work 
they  reveal.  3.  Describe  Christ's  two  visits  to  the  Temple;  the 
probable  amount  and  character  of  his  secular  and  religious  educa- 
tion, his  trade.  4.  Give  the  names  of  Christ's  four  brothers,  and 
outline  the  three  theories  as  to  their  relation  to  him. 


DIVISION  II. 

The  Year  of  Obscurity 

From  Christ's  Baptism  to  the  Opening  of  the  Galilean  Ministry 

—January  to  December,  A.  D.  27 — the  full  calendar 

year  A.  D.  27. 

Two  Subdivisions. 

I,  The  Opening  Events  of  Christ's  Ministry.  From 
Christ's  Baptism  to  the  first  Passover  of  his  Ministry,  Jan.- 
April  II,  A.  D.  27. 

II.  The  Early  Judean  Ministry.  From  the  Passover 
to  the  Opening  of  the  Gahlean  Ministry,  April  ii-Dec,  A. 
D.  27. 

I.     The  Opening  Events  of  Christ's  Ministry, 

CHAPTER  15. 

John's  Ministry — Jesus'  Baptism  and  Temptation. 

Matt.  3  :  I — 4 :  II ;  Mark  i :  1-13  ;  Lu.  3  :  1-23  ;  4 :  1-13. 
Harmony,  18-20. 

103.  John's  Ministry,  (i)  When  the  time  was  ful- 
filled the  forerunner  of  Christ  began  his  great  work  of  an- 
nouncing the  presence  of  the  Messiah  and  preparing  the 
people.  (2)  This  was  in  the  summer  of  A.  D.  26  in  the 
15th  year  of  the  reign  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  Pontius  Pilate 
being  governor  of  Judaea,  and  Herod  Antipas  being 
Tetrarch  of  Galilee,  and  his  brother  Philip  Tetrarch  of 
the  region  of  Ituraea,  and  Trachonitis,  and  Lysanias,  Tet- 
rarch of  Abilene,   in  the  high  priesthood  of   Annas   and 


/S  Life  of  Christ. 

Caiaphas.  (3)  He  came  into  all  the  region  round  about 
the  Jordan,  (Bethany;  A.  V.  Bethabara  in  Perea).  (4)  His 
raiment  was  of  camel's  hair,  held  by  a  leather  girdle  about 
his  loins,  and  his  food  was  locusts  and  wild  honey.  (5)  His 
message  was.  Repent  ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at 
hand.  (6)  As  a  symbol  of  moral  cleansing,  God  directed 
him  to  baptize  those  who  were  penitent.  (7)  There  went 
out  unto  him  Jerusalem,  all  Jud?ea,  and  all  the  region  about 
the  Jordan.  (8)  All  classes  came.  (9)  To  the  multi- 
iudc  (Luke)  and  especially  when  he  saw  among  them  many 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees  (Matthew),  he  said,  "Ye  offspring 
of  vipers  who  warned  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come. 
Bring  forth  fruit  worthy  of  repentance,  and  think  not  with- 
in yourselves,  we  have  Abraham  to  our  father;  for  I  say 
unto  you,  that  God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  chil- 
dren unto  Abraham.  Even  now  the  axe  lieth  at  the  root 
of  the  trees :  every  tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is 
hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire.  (10)  Then  the  multitude 
(not  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees)  asked  him,  what  must 
we  do?  He  said  he  that  hath  two  coats  let  him  impart  to 
him  that  hath  none,  and  he  that  hath  food,  let  him  do  like- 
wise. (11)  The  publicans  said :  Teacher,  what  must  we 
do?  He  said,  extort  no  more  than  that  which  is  appointed 
to  you.  (12)  The  soldiers  asked  him.  What  must  we  do? 
He  said.  Extort  from  no  man  by  violence,  neither  accuse 
any  man  wrongfully ;  and  be  content  with  your  wages. 
(13)  And  as  the  people  reasoned  whether  John  were  the 
Christ,  he  said,  I  baptize  you  with  water,  but  there  cometh 
he  that  is  mightier  than  I,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes,  I  am 
not  worthy  to  unloose.  He  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  with  Fire.  The  fan  is  in  his  hand,  thoroughly 
to  cleanse  his  threshing  floor  and  to  gather  the  wheat  into 
his  garner,  but  the  chaff  he  will  burn  up  with  unquenchable 
fire. 

104.  Baptism  of  Jesus,  (i)  About  January,  A.  D.  27, 
after  John  had  been  preaching  for  over  six  months,  came 
Jesus  from  Nazareth  to  John  to  be  baptized.     He  was  then 


Life  of  Christ.  79 

about  thirty  years  old.  (2)  John  would  have  hindered  him 
saying,  I  have  need  to  be  baptized  of  thee,  and  dost  thou 
come  to  me  ?  But  Jesus  said,  suffer  it  now,  for  thus  it  be- 
cometh  us  to  fulfill  all  righteousness.  Then  he  suffered 
him.  (3)  When  Jesus  was  baptized  and  went  up  from  the 
water,  the  heavens  were  opened  unto  him,  and  he  saw  the 
Spirit  of  God  descending  as  a  dove,  and  coming  upon  him, 
and  a  voice  out  of  the  heavens  said :  This  is  my  beloved  Son 
in  whom  I  am  well  pleased. 

105.  Temptation  of  Jesus.  (i)  Immediately  after 
his  baptism  Jesus  was  led  up  of  the  spirit  into  the  wilder- 
ness, to  be  tempted  of  the  Devil.  Here  he  was  with  the 
wild  beasts.  (2)  When  he  had  fasted  forty  days  and  forty 
nights  he  hungered.  Then  the  tempter  said,  if  Thou  art 
the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones  become  bread. 
He  said,  it  is  written,  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone, 
but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of 
God.  (3)  Then  the  Devil  taketh  him  into  the  Holy  City, 
and  set  him  on  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and  said.  If 
Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  cast  thyself  down,  for  it  is  writ- 
ten, he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  concerning  thee:  and 
on  their  hands  they  will  bear  thee  up,  lest  haply  thou  dash 
thy  foot  against  a  stone.  Jesus  said.  Again  it  is  written, 
Thou  shalt  not  make  trial  of  the  Lord  thy  God.  (4)  Again 
the  Devil  taketh  him  into  an  exceeding  high  mountain,  and 
showeth  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the  glory 
of  them  and  said,  all  these  things  will  I  give  thee,  if  thou 
wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me.  Then  said  Jesus,  Get  thee 
hence,  Satan,  for  it  is  written,  thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord 
thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve.  (5)  Then  the 
Devil  leaveth  him  for  a  season,  and  angels  came  and  min- 
istered unto  him. 

106.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  This  period  is  called  the  "Year 
of  Obscurity"  because  so  little  of  it  is  recorded.  The  reason  for 
this  silence  seems  to  be  that  the  Synoptists  considered  this  year  to 
be  a  part  of  the  preparatory  period,  with  negative  results  as  far  as 
the  rulers  in  Jerusalem  were  concerned.     2.  Name  and  compare  the 


8o  Life  of  Christ. 

sources,  locate  the  places  on  the  map  and  the  plan  of  the  temple; 
memorize  Matt.  4:10.  3.  On  Tiberius  and  other  rulers  in  Luke 
3:1  see  II13  and  II18.  4.  According  to  the  law  of  Moses  there  could 
be  only  one  high  priest  and  he  was  to  serve  for  life.  But  in  Christ's 
time  this  law  was  disregarded.  Annas  was  high  priest  A.  D.  7-14, 
when  the  Roman  procurator  Gratus  deposed  him;  but  he  controlled 
his  successors,  several  of  whom  were  of  his  own  family.  Caiaphas 
was  Annas'  son-in-law  and  ruled  18-36  A.  D.  In  the  N.  T.  we  find 
both  acting  together,  with  a  sort  of  joint  authority.  5.  Locusts  arc 
still  used  for  food  in  the  Orient.  6.  John's  work  was  threefold: 
(a)  to  announce  that  the  kingdom  of  God  was  at  hand  and  the 
Messiah  about  to  appear,  (b)  to  bring  the  nation  to  repentance, 
"to  make  ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord,"  (c)  to  point  out 
the  Messiah  personally  to  the  nation  when  he  should  appear  (An- 
drews, Life  of  our  Lord,  p.  129).  7.  The  Greek  "mctanoia"  means 
"a  change  of  mind"  regarding  God,  one's  self,  final  destiny,  etc., 
such  as  leads  to  a  corresponding  change  of  the  outward  life.  8. 
Kingdom  of  God:  (a)  O.  T.  idea:  God's  dominion  over  the  whole 
world  and  especially  over  Israel  through  the  Messiah,  (b)  Current 
Jewish  idea:  Israel's  political  supremacy  over  the  world  preceded 
by  the  overthrow  of  Rome,  (c)  The  term  as  used  by  Christ  has 
not  a  constant  meaning.  There  are  at  least  four  great  ideas  which 
are  at  times  associated  with  it.  (i)  The  dominion  of  God  realized 
within  and  without  (with  emphasis  on  the  realization  within)  Matt. 
T,.2;  4:17;  6:10;  13:44-45.  The  rule  of  God  in  the  hearts  of 
men.  (2)  The  people  who  are  under  the  dominion  of  God,  Mark 
8:  14;  Matt.  13:24-41.  (3)  Blessing  and  privileges  that  accompany 
the  divine  dominion  (Matt.  5:10).  (4)  The  Place  that  is  to  be 
occupied  in  the  future  by  those  who  are  under  the  divine  dominion 
(Matt.  7:21;  8:11;  13:43;  25:34;  26:29).  9-  The  form  of  bap- 
tism was  either  original  with  John  or  adopted  from  the  baptism 
of  the  proselytes.  It  signified  moral  cleansing  as  a  preparation  for 
entrance  into  the  kingdom.  The  fact  that  it  was  performed  only 
once  shows  that  it  was  not  one  of  the  Levitical  washings,  but  was 
designed  to  mark  one  decisive  act  in  life.  Neither  is  it  exactly  the 
same  as  the  Christian  sacrament  of  baptism,  which  was  instituted 
three  years  later  and  is  a  sign  and  seal  of  conversion,  and  an 
initiation  to  church  membership.  10.  Christ's  "baptism  in  the  Holy 
Spirit"  John  views  rather  as  a  baptism  of  judgment,  a  holy  breath 
of  God  sweeping  away  the  wicked  (Mai.  4:1)  and  not  so  much 
as  the  sanctifying,  life-giving  influence  as  in  Acts  1:5.  It  must  be 
noticed  that  he  addressed  people  whom  he  called  "offspring  of 
vipers."  Luke  3:  17  means  that  the  Messiah  would  judge  the  peo- 
ple for  their  sins.     "Fan"  means  a  shovel  for  throwing  grain  into 


Life  of  Christ;  8i 

the  air,  so  that  the  wind  may  blow  the  chaff  out  of  the  wheat. 
"Wheat"  means  God's  true  people.  "Chaff"  means  the  wicked. 
John's  idea  then  was  that  the  Messiah  would  be  a  strict  judge,  who 
would  reward  the  good  and  punish  the  wicked.  This  was  a  great 
advance  on  the  popular  idea  that  he  would  be  a  great  king  and 
warrior,  ii.  If  at  that  time  the  Jews  required  of  the  proselytes 
that  they  be  baptized  (which  some  deny),  John  must  have  angered 
the  Pharisees  by  baptizing  all  classes  of  Jews,  thus  implying  that 
the  whole  nation  was  spiritually  unclean  and  morally  not  above  the 
Gentiles.  12.  The  shoe-lachct  was  the  thong  or  strap  by  which 
the  sandal  was  bound  to  the  foot.  To  unloose  this  or  to  bear  the 
shoes  (Matt  3:  11)  was  the  office  of  the  lowest  slave. 

107.  I.  Why  did  Jesus  seek  to  be  baptized?  i.  Not  for  con- 
fession and  pardon,  for  he  was  sinless.  2.  Not  simply  to  encourage 
John's  work  and  set  an  example  to  others.  3.  Not  as  our  substi- 
tute, for  his  disciples  were  also  baptized;  but  (i)  to  provide  a 
public  mode  of  announcement,  when  in  the  presence  of  many  the 
fact  might  be  fully  established  that  the  Messiah  had  come  (John 
I- 33)-  (2)  To  consecrate  himself  to  his  Messianic  work  by  this 
kind  of  ordination.  All  priests  in  the  Jewish  church  were  inducted 
into  office  by  baptism.  (Ex.  24:9).  Inasmuch  as  Christ  was  to  be 
a  priest  (Heb.  5:6)  it  was  proper  that  he  should  enter  by  this 
door,  thus  fulfilling  ceremonial  righteousness.  2.  The  commence- 
ment of  a  new  course  of  life,  was  the  element  which  his  and  other 
people's  baptism  had  in  common :  in  the  case  of  the  people  it  pre- 
pared them  to  receive  pardon,  in  the  case  of  Jesus,  to  bestow  it.  3. 
The  voice  from  heaven  was  to  John  a  revelation  (Jno.  i :  33)  and 
meant  for  Jesus  (a)  divine  approval  of  the  step,  (b)  official  anoint- 
ing for  his  mission  and  (c)  endowment  with  power.  4.  The  dove 
was  considered  a  sacred  bird  in  the  East.  The  brooding  dove  was 
symbolical  of  the  quickening  warmth  of  nature.  In  Jewish  writings, 
the  Spirit  hovering  over  the  primeval  waters  is  expressly  compared 
to  a  dove.  5.  Christ  was  tempted,  (a)  for  his  own  sake,  as  a  test 
of  character  (like  the  first  Adam),  (b)  for  men's  sake  that  he 
could  sympathize  with  us  in  similar  circumstances  (Heb.  4:  15-16). 
6.  The  form  of  temptation,  (i)  Satan  appeared  in  visible  form 
(the  text  to  be  taken  literally)  ;  (2)  Some  person,  perhaps  a  Phar- 
isee, urged  him  to  carry  out  the  Jewish  ideal  of  the  Messiah.  (3) 
Christ  had  a  vision  of  the  powers  of  darkness  which  would  attempt 
to  turn  him  aside  from  his  true  mission  to  do  the  Father's  will. 
(4)  Satan  presented  evil  thoughts  to  Christ's  mind — tempting  him 
as  he  does  us.  In  this  case  the  temptations  were  inward  and  spirit- 
ual, not  outward  and  physical  and  all  occurred  in  the  wilderness 
when   meditating  upon  his    future  plans.     Later  he  communicated 


82  Life  of  Christ. 

his  experiences  in  the  allegory  of  our  text,  (s)  But  whether 
the  objective  or  subjective  form  is  accepted,  Christ's  experience 
in  the  wilderness  proved  a  real  temptation  to  him,  that  is,  a  strong 
soliciation  to  sin.  7.  The  essence  of  Christ's  temptation  was  to 
take  the  short  and  easy  road  to  the  Messiahship  by  conforming 
to  the  popular  ideal  rather  than  the  hard  and  slow  way  of  a 
spiritual  deliverer.  8.  The  objective  preparation  for  Christ's  pub- 
lic ministry  was  the  work  of  John  and  the  subjective  preparation, 
his  baptism  and  temptation.  9.  The  traditional  place  of  Christ's 
temptation  is  the  desolate  Mount  Quarantania,  a  high  and  precipi- 
tous wall  of  rock  about  1500  feet  above  the  plain  and  about  7  miles 
northwest  of  Jericho.  It  resembles  Gibraltar  and  upon  its  sum- 
mit are  still  visible  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  convent.  Midway  below 
are  caverns  hewn  into  the  rock  where  hermits  formerly  retired  to 
fast  and  pray  in  imitation  of  the  40  days'  fast.  10.  The  pinnacle  of 
the  temple  was  either  the  highest  part  of  the  temple  proper,  or 
more  likely  the  top  of  the  Royal  Porch,  more  than  200  feet  above 
the  Kidron  Valley    (see  plan  of  the  temple). 

108.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  God's  word  comes  to  us  through 
(a)  the  Bible,  (b)  our  conscience,  (c)  Providence  in  history,  (d) 
the  Holy  Spirit,  (e)  the  counsels  of  God's  people.  2.  There  is  no 
possible  way  to  escape  the  unquenchable  fire  but  to  cease  to  be  chaff. 
3.  The  essence  of  true  religion  is  always  righteousness — right  liv- 
ing— before  God,  judged  by  his  standard,  and  neither  ritualism  nor 
emotionalism.  4.  The  wrath  of  God  is  a  result  of  his  love.  Be- 
cause sin  ruins  men,  God  hates  it,  but  loves  the  sinner.  5.  Accord- 
ing to  the  law  John  should  have  become  a  priest,  but  obeying  a 
higher  call  he  worked  as  a  layman.  Meditate  upon  the  immense 
streams  of  blessings  which  have  flowed  into  the  church  from  the 
work  of  laymen.  6.  At  conversion  everyone  must  forsake  his  char- 
acteristic sins :  the  Sadducces,  their  false  doctrine,  worldliness  and 
indifference;  the  Pharisees,  their  formalism,  hypocracy  and  self- 
righteousness;  the  publicans,  their  graft  and  deceit;  the  soldiers, 
their  rudeness  and  thieving.  And  you?  7.  To  denounce  popular 
sins  and  influential  sinners  is  never  a  pleasant  duty,  often  dan- 
gerous, but  greatly  needed.  8.  Character  draws.  In  Homer's  Iliad 
an  ill-tempered  man  delivers  a  fine  speech  against  King  Agamem- 
non, but  without  any  effect  on  the  army,  because  of  the  speaker's 
bad  character.  It  is  a  rule  to  make  the  cannon  one  hundred 
times  heavier  than  the  shot.  9.  Public  pledges  (such  as  baptism) 
are  powerful  means  of  sustaining  character.  The  Spaniard  Cortez, 
after  landing  in  Mexico,  burned  the  ships  so  that  return  was  im- 
possible. 10.  Temptation  means,  (a)  a  test  of  character  by  trials 
( Jas.   1 : 2)    and    (b)    more   frequently,   enticement  to   sin    (Jas.    i : 


Life  of  Christ.  83 

13-14),  II.  A  favorable  impression  made  on  the  heart  by  evil  does 
not  constitute  sin,  but  only  our  yielding  to  it  by  the  consent  of  our 
will.  These  evil  suggestions  came  not  from  the  soul  of  Jesus 
but  to  his  soul  from  the  outside.  12.  The  Devil  leaves  Christians 
only  for  a  season ;  hence  "Watch."  13.  To  originate  doubt  of  God's 
truths  is  always  one  of  Satan's  methods.  (Gen.  3:  i).  14.  Christ's 
three  temptations  are  addressed  to  the  three  chief  avenues  by  which 
sin  enters  the  soul:  gratification  of  the  senses,  love  of  praise,  and 
desire  for  gain.  15.  Means  for  winning  the  contest:  (a)  to  know 
the  real  enemy  (Luther:  Satan  is  first  black,  then  white,  finally 
divine!),  (b)  to  use  the  true  weapon,  (c)  to  stand  firm,  (d)  to  keep 
in  view  the  crown  of  victory. 

109.  Reference  Literature.  Consult  Dictionaries  on  John,  Bap- 
tism, Temptation.  Farrar,  Ch.  8,  9;  Stalker,  Ch.  2,  3,  4;  Andrews, 
137-158;  Goethe's  "Faust,"  pledges  himself  to  Satan  (Faust  I,  2nd 
Act)  ;  On  the  scene  of  John's  ministry,  see  Smith's  Historical  Geog- 
raphy, 261,  312-317;  On  John's  preparing  the  way,  see  Trumbull's 
Studies  on  Oriental  Social  Life;  Robinson,  Palestine  L  567;  Thomp- 
son, The  Land  and  the  Book,  617;  Campbell  Morgan,  Crises  of  the 
Christ,  p.  137;  Fairbairn,  Studies  on  the  Life  of  Christ,  p.  93; 
Hanna,   Life   of   Christ,   80-81. 

no.  Questions  for  Discussion.  i.  What  is  repentance?  2. 
What  phase  of  Christ's  work  did  John  emphasize?  3.  What  made 
it  natural  for  the  people  to  suppose  that  John  was  the  Messiah? 
4.  Was  duty  repulsive  to  Jesus?  5.  What  should  be  our  attitude 
toward  religious  rites?  6.  What  absorbed  Jesus  so  that  for  forty 
days  he  was  indifferent  to  food?  7.  Is  there  any  special  significance 
in  the  number  forty?  (Ex.  24:  18;  i  Kings  19:8;  Jonah  3:4;  Acts 
1:3).  8.  What  was  wrong  in  Satan's  use  of  Scripture?  9.  Could 
Satan  have  fulfilled  his  promises — Does  he  now?  10.  What  does 
worshipping  Satan  really  mean?  11.  In  what  one  particular  was 
Jesus'  temptation  unlike  ours  (Heb.  4:  15).  12.  Would  the  tempta- 
tion be  quite  as  real  if  the  suggestions  had  come  to  Jesus  as  they 
do  to  us,  by  appealing  to  his  mind  and  imagination?  Would  a 
visible  appearance  of  Satan  make  the  temptation  stronger  or  not? 
13  What  does  Christ's  victory  mean  for  us?  (Heb.  2:17-18;  4: 
IS-16). 


§4  Lif^  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  i6. 

First  Disciples  and  First  Miracle. 

John    1:19 — 2:12.     Harmony   21-26. 

111.  John's  Testimony  before  the  Deputation,  About 
Feb.  A.  D.  27,  when  John  was  working  at  Bethany  on  the 
Jordan  (A.  V.  Bethabara),  the  Pharisees,  just  the  day  be- 
fore Christ's  return  from  the  wilderness,  (Jno.  i :  29),  sent 
unto  him  from  Jerusalem,  priests  and  Levites,  to  question 
him.  The  following  conversation  ensued  between  them. 
They :  Who  art  thou  ?  John  :  I  am  not  the  Christ.  They : 
Art  thou  Elijah?  He:  I  am  not.  They:  Art  thou  the 
Prophet  ?  He :  No.  They :  Who  art  thou,  that  we  may 
give  an  answer  to  them  that  sent  us.  He :  I  am  the  Voice 
of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  make  straight  the  way  of 
the  Lord.  They:  Why  then  baptizest  thou,  if  thou  art  not 
the  Christ,  neither  Elijah,  neither  the  Prophet?  John:  I 
baptize  in  water :  in  the  midst  of  you  standeth  one  whom  ye 
known  not,  the  one  that  cometh  after  me,  the  latchet  of 
whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose. 

112.  Jesus  the  Lamb  of  God.  (i)  On  the  following 
day  Jesus  returned  from  the  wilderness.  When  John  saw 
him  coming,  he  said,  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world.  This  is  he  of  whom  I  said. 
After  me  cometh  a  man  who  is  before  me  (in  dignity),  for 
he  was  before  me  (pre-existence).  (2)  I  knew  him  not; 
but  that  he  should  be  made  manifest  to  Israel,  for  this  cause 
came  I  baptizing  in  water.  I  beheld  the  Spirit  descending 
as  a  dove  out  of  heaven,  and  it  abode  upon  him.  (3)  I 
knew  him  not  (as  the  Messiah),  but  he  that  sent  me  to 
baptize  in  water,  said.  Upon  whom  thou  shalt  see  the  spirit 
descending  and  abiding  the  same  is  he  that  baptizeth  in  the 
Holy  Spirit.  I  have  seen  and  bear  witness  that  this  is  the 
Son  of  God. 

113.  The  First  Three  or  Four  Disciples,     (i)   On  the 


Life  of  Christ.  85 

day  following,  John  and  two  of  his  disciples  looked  upon 
Jesus  as  he  walked,  and  said,  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God. 
(2)  The  two  disciples  heard  and  followed  Jesus.  Jesus 
turned  and  saith,  What  seek  ye?  They  said.  Rabbi,  where 
abidest  thou?  He  saith,  come,  and  ye  shall  see.  They 
came  and  abode  with  him  that  day,  and  it  was  about  the 
tenth  hour.  (3)  One  of  the  two  was  Andrew,  Simon 
Peter's  brother,  and  the  other  was  John  the  Son  of  Zebedee. 
Andrew  findeth  first  his  own  brother  Simon,  and  saith,  we 
have  found  the  Messiah.  John  probably  also  brought  his 
brother  James  afterwards.  When  Andrew  brought  Simon 
to  Jesus,  he  looked  upon  him  and  said,  Thou  art  Simon,  the 
Son  of  John,  Thou  shalt  be  called  Cephas  (Peter). 

114.  Philip  and  Nathaniel,  (i)  On  the  following  day 
Jesus  was  minded  to  go  into  Galilee.  He  findeth  Philip, 
and  saith,  Follow  me,  Philip  was  from  Bethsaida,  the  city  of 
Andrew  and  Peter.  (2)  Philip  findeth  Nathaniel  and  saith, 
we  have  found  him  of  whom  Moses  and  the  Prophets  wrote, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  Son  of  Joseph.  Nathaniel  said.  Can 
any  good  thing  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?  Philip  saith,  Come 
and  see.  (3)  Jesus  saw  Nathaniel  coming  to  him,  and 
saith  unto  him,  behold  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  there  is 
no  guile.  Nathaniel  said,  whence  knowest  thou  me?  Jesus 
said,  Before  Philip  called  thee,  when  thou  wast  under  the 
fig  tree  I  saw  thee.  Nathaniel  answered.  Rabbi,  thou  art 
the  Son  of  God,  thou  art  the  King  of  Israel.  Jesus  an- 
swered, because  I  said  I  saw  thee  under  the  fig  tree  be- 
lievest  thou?  Thou  shalt  see  greater  things.  Ye  shall  see 
the  heaven  opened,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  upon  the  Son  of  Man. 

115.  The  First  Miracle  at  Cana,  (i)  The  third  day 
after  leaving  the  Jordan,  there  was  a  marriage  in  Cana  of 
Galilee.  The  mother  of  Jesus  was  there.  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  were  also  bidden  to  the  marriage.  (2)  When  the 
wine  failed,  the  mother  of  Jesus  saith,  they  have  no  wine. 
Jesus  saith,  woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee ;  mine  hour 
hath  not  yet  come.     His  mother  saith  unto  the  servants, 


86  Life  of  Christ. 

whatsoever  he  saith,  do  it.  (3)  Now  there  were  six  water 
pots  of  stone  set  there  after  the  Jew's  manner  of  purifica- 
tion, containing  two  or  three  firkins  apiece.  Jesus  saith, 
fill  the  water  pots  with  water.  They  filled  them  up  to  the 
brim.  He  saith,  draw  out  now,  and  bear  unto  the  ruler 
of  the  feast,  and  they  bare  it.  (4)  When  the  ruler  of  the 
feast  tasted  the  water  now  became  wine,  and  knew  not 
whence  it  was,  he  said  to  the  bridegroom,  every  man  set- 
teth  on  first  the  good  wine,  and  when  men  have  drunk  free- 
ly, then  that  which  is  worse.  Thou  hast  kept  the  good  wine 
until  now.  (5)  This  sign  manifested  Jesus'  glory  and  his 
disciples  believed  on  him. 

116.  Brief  Trip  to  Capernaum.  After  the  wedding 
Jesus  went  down  to  Capernaum,  with  his  mother,  his 
brethren  and  his  disciples.  There  they  abode  not  many 
days,  because  the  Passover  was  near.     (April  11,  A.  D.  27). 

117.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  the  sources  and  locate  the 
places.  2.  The  Sanhedrin  exercising  spiritual  oversight  sent  the 
delegation  because  John's  followers  and  influence  increased  to  such 
an  extent  that  many  were  inclined  to  regard  him  as  the  Messiah. 
3.  To  the  deputation  John  states  the  supremacy  of  Christ,  and  to 
the  people  later,  his  mission.  4.  Jno.  i :  20  and  other  passages 
show  that  "Christ"  was  not  originally  a  name  but  a  title — "the 
Christ,"  the  anointed.  After  the  resurrection  this  title  gradually 
passed  into  a  name :  "Jesus  Christ,"  and  later,  "Christ  Jesus."  As 
the  Greeks  and  Romans  did  not  understand  the  meaning  they  sub- 
stituted their  familiar  name  "Chrestos":=excellent,  and  Suetonius 
regarded  him  as  the  leader  of  a  Jewish  faction  in  Rome  in  the 
reign  of  Claudius  (41-54),  Vita  Claud.  25.  5.  John's  testimony, 
based  on  Isaiah  53,  and  referring  to  the  Paschal  Lamb,  shows  the 
Baptist's  belief  in  the  idea  of  a  Messiah,  struggling  with  the  cor- 
rupt part  of  the  people,  and  suflfering  for  man's  sins.  The  term 
"Lamb  of  God"  suggests:  (a)  The  spotless  purity  of  Jesus,  (b)  the 
vicarious  character  of  his  sufferings.  6.  As  among  the  parts  from 
zvhich  the  people  came  to  be  baptized,  prior  to  Jesus,  Galilee  is  not 
mentioned.  It  has  been  supposed  that  Jesus  was  the  first  Galilean 
who  came  to  John,  and  that  Andrew  and  the  rest  came,  while  Jesus 
was  in  the  wilderness.  7.  According  to  Jewish  reckoning,  (6  A.  M. 
to  6  P.  M.)  the  tenth  hour  wan  four  P.  M.  If  John  follows  the 
Roman  reckoning  as  some  suppose    (from  midnight  to  midnight) 


Life  of  Christ.  87 

it  was  10  A.  M.  8.  The  one  disciple  whose  name  is  not  given 
(Jno.  1 :  40),  is  undoubtedly  John,  who  wrote  this  gospel.  He  never 
refers  to  himself  by  name,  but  several  times  as  "the  disciple 
whom  Jesus  loved"  (John  13:23;  19:26,  etc.).  9.  Verses  47  and  51 
contain  allusions  to  Jacob  and  his  vision  (Gen.  28:  12-17)  (a)  the 
patriarch  showed  guile,  Nathaniel  was  without  guile,  (b)  a  new 
communication  was  to  be  opened  between  Heaven  and  earth 
through  Jesus.  10.  Either  John  i  :42  is  a  prediction  of  such  a  de- 
velopment which  later  on  should  lead  to  the  bestowing  of  the  name 
Peter,  or  the  name  was  given  here  and  in  Matthew  16  Jesus  con- 
firms it.  II.  Nathaniel  was  of  a  prejudiced  nature  and  had  to  be 
won  by  Christ's  manifesting  his  supernatural  knowledge.  12.  John 
1 :  42  is  often  interpreted  as  implying  that  as  Andrew  found  his  own 
brother  (Peter)  first,  so  later  John  also  found  his  own  brother 
(James).     In  this  case,  Jesus  had  six  disciples. 

118.  I.  Cana  in  Galilee  must  be  distinguished  from  Kana  near 
Tyre.  It  was  about  four  miles  northeast  from  Nazareth  on  the 
road  to  Capernaum.  To-day  it  is  a  dilapidated  village  with  a  small 
church  reared  on  the  ruins  of  St.  Hellena's  Church.  2.  Jesus  had 
either  received  a  previous  invitation  to  this  wedding,  and  was 
therefore  expected,  or  he  was  invited  when  he  unexpectedly  arrived 
in  the  town.  His  disciples  were  certainly  not  expected.  3.  From 
the  silence  about  Joseph,  we  may  conclude  that  he  had  died  before 
this.  4.  Four  points  in  the  narrative  deserve  special  notice:  (a)  the 
contrast  between  the  Baptist's  conduct  and  that  of  Jesus.  The  Bap- 
list  practiced  severe  asceticsm :  Jesus  went  into  the  home  to  a 
marriage  feast,  thus  sanctifying  all  human  relations.  This  is  still 
the  spirit  of  Christian  ethics,  (b)  Mary's  request  implies  her  be- 
lief that  the  Lord  possessed  a  higher  nature  by  virtue  of  which  an 
unlimited  power  to  work  miracles  stood  at  his  disposal,  (c)  The 
miracle,  is  called  a  sign,  i.  e.,  an  index  finger  which  points  to  his 
Messianic  character,  power,  mission  and  hidden  glory,  (d)  The 
address,  woman,  not  mother,  was  selected  to  remind  Mary  solemnly, 
yet  tenderly  of  the  new  changed  relations  between  the  Messiah  and 
Mary  of  Nazareth.  According  to  ancient  usage,  there  is  nothing 
derogatory  in  the  address.  5.  For  the  Jew's  manner  of  purification 
see  Mark  7:2,  4-  6.  Sound  exegesis  must  hold  that  Jesus  made 
real  wine ;  but  it  is  blasphemous  to  infer  that  by  so  doing  he  justi- 
fies the  ordinary  drinking  usages  of  American  society  of  to-day, 
wnth  its  bars,  treating  customs,  strong  drinks,  and  all  its  attending 
evils.  7.  Capernaum  was  our  Lord's  home  during  much  of  his 
early  ministry  and  is  therefore  called  "his  own  city."  The  town 
was  situated  on  the  northwest  shore  of  the  sea  of  Galilee,  about  18 
miles  northeast  of   Cana,  probably  on  the  great  road   from  Jeru- 


88  Life  of  Christ. 

salem  to  Damascus.  It  was  a  station  for  a  Roman  garrison,  and 
a  custom  house,  and  had  at  least  one  synagogue.  The  site  of 
Capernaum  is  hotly  contested,  thus  conlirming  Matt.  9:23.  See  D. 
B.  and  ^j.  8.  Jesus  remained  probably  not  more  than  a  week  or 
two  at  Capernaum.  9.  His  reasons  for  going  to  Capernaum  may 
have  been:  (i)  to  join  the  caravans  for  Jerusalem  for  the  Pass- 
over. (2)  Because  it  was  the  residence  of  Andrew,  Peter,  John 
and  James  the  elder  (Matt.  13:1;  Mark  1:19,  20),  and  lay  very 
near  Bethsaida,  the  home  of  Philip  and  the  native  place  of  Andrew 
and   Peter    (John    i:AA)- 

119.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Reasoning  is  well,  but  an  appeal  to 
personal  experience  removes  prejudice  much  quicker.  2.  When 
working  for  Christ,  do  not  overlook  your  blood  relations.  3.  An- 
drew's very  first  act  of  Christian  service  was  probably  the  most  far- 
reaching  in  all  his  life.  4.  Public  testimony  and  private  interview 
are  the  two  methods  of  enlisting  followers  for  Jesus.  5.  "Hand- 
picked  fruit  is  the  best."  After  general  preaching,  personal  work 
is  important  (John  1:35).  6.  Jesus  encourages  the  slightest  ap- 
proach to  him.  7.  Christ's  question,  what  seek  ye,  a  test  of  sincerity 
and  earnestness.  8.  Christianity  invites  and  rewards  the  most 
thorough  investigations  by  all  sincere  seekers  after  truth.  9.  Jesus 
is  anxious  to  carry  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  of  its  homes,  busi- 
ness, government  and  institutions.  Christ  taketh  away  sin,  its  pun- 
ishment, guilt  and  power,  by  expiation.  10.  Four  methods  for  win- 
ning men:  (a)  by  entertaining  in  our  home  ("Come  and  see"),  (b) 
by  words  of  encouragement  "thou  shalt  be  called  Peter  (although 
vacillating),  (c)  by  words  of  commanding  authority  (Philip),  (d) 
by  commendation  (Nathaniel).  11.  From  this  narrative  the 
"Brotherhood  of  Andrew"  (Episcopalian)  and  the  "Brotherhood 
of  Andrew  and  Philip"  (founded  by  Dr.  Rufus  W.  Miller)  have 
derived  their  names  and  rules.  12.  How  may  we  to-day  invite 
Jesus  to  the  wedding?  (a)  by  consulting  him  before  the  betrothal, 
(b)  by  observing  the  fifth  commandment  in  consulting  our  parents 
(no  clandestine  marriages),  (c)  by  asking  the  blessing  of  the 
church,  (d)  by  observing  decency  at  the  marriage  feast  (no  coarse 
jesting,  immodest  dress,  or  intemperance),  (e)  by  having  God's 
blessing  invoked  over  the  very  first  meal.  13.  Christ's  presence  in 
the  home,  (a)  sanctifies  our  joys,  (b)  shares  our  cares,  (c)  ends 
our  troubles,  (d)  strengthens  our  faith.  14.  Mary's  words  to  the 
servants  should  be  a  guide  for  all  who  would  serve  Jesus.  15. 
"The  conscious  water  saw  its  God  and  blushed"   (an  old  mystic). 

16.  Christ's  mission  is  to  change  the  unspiritual  into  the  spiritual. 

17.  Jesus  came  not  to  subtract  from,  but  to  add  to,  the  wholesome 
joys  of  life.     18.  That  place  of  enjoyment  is  safe  where  Jesus  may 


Life  of  Christ.  89 

go  with  us.  19.  Jesus  should  be  invited  to  the  wedding  and  remain 
a  permanent  inmate  of  our  homes  by  means  of  the  erection  of  the 
family  altar. 

120.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  10,  11,  12;  Stalker,  Ch.  3; 
Andrews,  157-165.  Consult  dictionaries;  paintings  by  Dore;  On  Ca- 
pernaum, see  Robinson;  Palestine  I,  540;  Thompson,  The  Land  and 
the  Book;  Walker's  Jesus  and  his  Surroundings,  72-79  (ist  div.)  ; 
Trench,  Notes  on  the  Miracles ;  Robertson,  First  Miracle  (two  ser- 
mons). Vol.  II,   11;  Torrey,  How  to  bring  Men  to  Christ. 

121.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  In  what  sense  was  the  Baptist 
Elijah  and  in  what  sense  was  he  not?  2.  Where  did  John  get  his 
clear  conception  of  Christ's  mission  and  how  did  it  differ  from 
that  of  the  Pharisees  (Isa.  53 :  6,  7),  3.  Why  does  John  by  implica- 
tion, and  the  apostles  in  words,  call  themselves  "slaves  of  Christ?" 
4.  Was  Christ's  estimate  of  Peter's  character  correct?  5.  Why 
did  Christ  begin  his  ministry  by  enlisting  disciples,  rather  than  by 
preaching  or  miracles?  (Jno.  15:27;  Acts  i).  6.  Can  we  know  the 
exact  time  of  our  conversion?  Must  we?  7.  In  what  statement 
does  Philip's  testimony  follow  popular  impressions  rather  than 
state  facts?  (Jno.  6:42).  8.  Why  is  Mary  so  concerned  about  the 
failure  of  wine  in  the  home  where  she  was  only  a  guest?  9.  What 
features  of  Christ's  character  are  revealed  at  Cana? 


SECOND  SUB-DIVISION. 

The  Early  Judean  Ministry.     From  Christ's  first  Passover  to  the 
Opening  of  the  Galilean  Ministry,  April-December,  A.  D.  27. 

CHAPTER  17. 

First  Ministry  in  Jerusalem  and  Judea. 

John  2  :  13 — 3  :  26.     Harmony  27-30. 

122.  First  Cleansing  of  the  Temple,  (i)  After  a 
brief  sojourn  at  Capernaum  Jesus  went  to  Jerusalem  to  at- 
tend the  first  Passover  of  his  ministry  (April  11-17,  A.  D. 
27)  ;  He  found  in  the  Temple  those  that  sold  oxen,  sheep 
and  doves.  (2)  When  he  saw  the  changers  of  money,  he 
made  a  scourge  of  cords,  and  cast  all  out  of  the  temple,  the 
sheep  and  the  oxen,  poured  out  the  changers'  money,  and 


90  Life  of  Christ. 

overthrew  their  tables.  To  them  that  sold  the  doves,  he 
said,  take  these  things  hence,  make  not  my  father's  house 
a  house  of  merchandise.  (3)  His  disciples  remembered 
that  it  was  written,  Zeal  for  thy  house  shall  eat  me  up.  (4) 
The  Jews  said.  What  sign  showest  thou  us  of  thy  authority 
to  do  these  things?  Jesus  said,  Destroy  this  temple,  and 
in  three  days  I  will  raise  it  up.  The  Jews  said,  forty  and 
six  years  was  this  temple  in  building,  and  wilt  thou  raise  it 
up  in  three  days?  But  he  spake  of  the  temple  of  his  body. 
When  he  was  raised  from  the  dead,  his  disciples  remem- 
bered that  he  spake  this. 

123.  Work  in  Jerusalem  during  the  Feast.  In  Jeru- 
salem many  believed  on  his  name,  beholding  the  signs  which 
he  did.  But  Jesus  did  not  trust  himself  unto  them  for  he 
knew  all  men  and  needed  not  that  any  should  bear  witness 
concerning  man,  for  himself  knew  what  was  in  man. 

124.  Discourse  with  Nicodemus  in  Jerusalem,  (i) 
Nicodemus,  a  Pharisee  and  a  ruler  of  the  Jews,  came  to 
Jesus  by  night.  The  following  conversation  passed  be- 
tween them :  Nicodemus :  Rabbi,  we  know  that  thou  art 
a  teacher  come  from  God,  for  no  one  can  do  these  signs 
that  thou  doest,  except  God  be  with  him.  Jesus :  Except 
one  be  born  anew  he  cannot  see  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Nic. : 
How  can  a  man  be  born  when  he  is  old  ?  Jesus :  Except 
one  be  born  of  water  and  the  Spirit  he  cannot  enter  into  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh, 
and  that  which  is  born  of  the  spirit  is  spirit.  Art  thou 
the  teacher  of  Israel,  and  understandest  not  these  things?  If 
I  told  you  earthly  things  and  ye  believed  not,  how  shall  you 
believe  if  I  tell  you  heavenly  things?  As  Moses  lifted  up  a 
serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be 
lifted  up,  that  whosoever  believeth  may  in  him  have  eternal 
life. 

125.  The  Plan  of  Salvation.  For  God  so  loved  the 
world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son  that  whosoever 
believeth  on  him,  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life. 
God  sent  not  the  Son  to  judge  the  world ;  but  that  the  world 


Life  of  Christ.  91 

should  be  saved  through  him.  He  that  beheveth  on  him  is 
not  judged.  He  that  believeth  not,  has  been  judged  al- 
ready, because  he  hath  not  believed  on  the  name  of  the  only 
begotten  Son  of  God.  This  is  the  judgment,  that  the  light 
is  come  into  the  world,  and  man  loved  the  darkness  rather 
than  the  light  for  their  w^orks  v^ere  evil. 

126.  Eight  Months  in  Judea.  After  the  eight  days  of 
the  passover  were  over,  Jesus  and  his  disciples  left  Jeru- 
salem and  abode  in  Judea,  perhaps  not  far  from  where  John 
was  baptizing  in  Aenon,  near  Salim,  because  there  was  much 
water  there.     Jesus  was  also  baptizing  through  his  disciples. 

127.  The  Baptist's  Last  Testimony  to  Christ,  (i) 
John's  disciples  had  a  dispute  with  a  Jew  about  purifying 
and  said  to  their  master :  Rabbi,  he  that  was  with  thee  be- 
yond the  Jordan  (Bethany  in  Perea)  to  whom  thou  hast 
born  witness  baptizes  also  and  all  men  come  to  him.  (2) 
John  said :  A  man  can  receive  nothing  except  it  have  been 
given  him  from  heaven.  Ye  know  that  I  said  I  am  not  the 
Christ,  but  I  am  sent  before  him.  He  that  hath  the  bride 
is  the  bridegroom,  but  his  friend  rejoices  at  the  bride- 
groom's voice.  This  my  joy  is  now  made  full.  He  must 
increase,  but  I  must  decrease. 

128.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  This  is  the  second  half  of  the  Year 
of  Obscurity,  April-December  A.  D.  27.  2.  Name  the  sources,  lo- 
cate the  places  on  the  map  and  the  plan  of  the  Temple.  Note  that 
the  sources  for  this  period  are  all  contained  in  John  (Chap.  2:  13  to 
4:3).  The  Synoptists  make  no  allusions  to  it.  They  move  from  the 
temptation  directly  to  the  Galilean  ministry.  Memorize  Jno.  3 :  16. 
3.  The  offense  was  not  in  the  traffic  itself,  which  was  a  necessity 
to  those  that  came  from  a  distance,  and  were  required  to  exchange 
their  foreign  money  for  Jewish  coins,  and  procure  animals  for 
sacrificial  purposes,  but  that  it  was  carried  on  so  near  the  place 
of  worship  and,  second,  because  there  is  reason  to  believe  that 
the  priests  derived  an  exorbitant  profit  from  it  (See  Edersheim, 
Vol.  I,  pp.  370  and  371).  4.  Josephus  estimates  the  number  of  lambs 
sacrificed  at  each  passover  feast,  in  the  time  of  Nero  (54-68)  at 
256,  500  (Bell.  Jud.  VI,  9,  3).  5.  He  cast  out  the  men,  not  by 
physical  force,  but  by  the  power  of  his  righteous  indignation,  which 
was  supported  by  the  bad  conscience  of  the  trafficers  themselves. 


92  Life  of  Christ. 

The  uplifting  of  the  hand  was  a  symbol  of  the  judgment  which 
was  soon  to  fall  upon  those  who  had  corrupted  the  theocracy.  6. 
The  temple  could  only  be  cleansed  by  the  Sanhedrin,  a  Prophet,  or 
the  Messiah.  Hence  the  demand.  7.  A  paraphrase  of  John  2:19. 
You  will  destroy  this  temple  and  the  theocracy  for  which  it  stands 
by  excluding  from  it  the  true  spirit  of  worship  and  by  killing  the 
Messiah  because  he  endeavors  to  purify  it,  and  then  I  will  soon 
establish  the  true  temple,  the  church  of  God,  by  my  redemptive 
work  of  which  my  resurrection  will  be  the  crowning  event.  This 
is  Christ's  first  allusion  to  his  death.  The  Jews  interpreted  his 
words  as  referring  to  the  material  temple,  and  were  therefore  en- 
raged. Even  at  his  trial  (Matt.  26:60;  27:40;  Mark  14:57)  and 
at  the  cross  (Mark  15:29)  his  enemies  refer  to  this  scene,  but 
as  they  perverted  his  words,  ("I  will  destroy")  Matthew  calls  their 
testimony  false.  8.  The  faith  of  the  converts  mentioned  in  John 
2 :  23,  rests  entirely  on  the  signs  or  miracles  which  Christ  had  done. 
They  did  not  have  whole-hearted  belief  in  him  as  the  Messiah,  nor 
did  they  yield  themselves  up  entirely  to  his  service.  He  could  not, 
therefore  "trust  himself"  to  them  as  the  Messiah.  9.  Some  clues 
as  to  the  friends  he  probably  made  at  this  time,  are  found  in  Matt. 
26:  17-19;  Mark  11 :  1-6;  Luke  23:  50-53;  John  11 :  1-5.  10.  Nicode- 
mus  was  one  of  the  few  in  whom  the  recent  deeds  and  words  of 
Jesus  had  awakened  a  desire  to  know  more  about  him.  He  was  a 
speciment  of  the  better  class  of  the  Pharisees.  We  meet  him  again 
in  the  tumultuous  session  of  the  Sanhedrin,  John  7:51,  and  also 
at  Christ's  burial,  Jno.  19:32.  11.  The  plural  "we  know"  may  in- 
dicate that  he  came  with  overtures  from  members  of  the  Pharisaic 
party  who,  impressed  by  the  Messianic  act  of  cleansing  the  temple 
were  disposed  to  join  hands  with  him,  to  bring  in  the  kingdom  of 
God.  12.  "By  night,"  refers  either  to  the  particular  point  of  time, 
or  is  probably  an  allusion  to  the  fear  of  Nicodemus,  who  on 
account  of  the  hatred  of  the  Jews  toward  Jesus  caused  by  the 
cleansing  of  the  temple,  dared  not  visit  him  openly.  13.  The 
phrase,  "Born  of  water  and  spirit"  describes  regeneration  as  to  its 
two  elements;  negatively,  as  the  purification  of  the  soul,  and  posi- 
tively as  the  implanting  of  the  active  principle  of  the  new  life. 
14.  John  3:  14,  contains  Christ's  second  allusion  to  his  suffering  and 
death,  his  intention  being  to  prepare  the  Jewish  mind,  to  whom  this 
feature  was  and  remained  the  great  stumbling  block.  15.  The 
statement  John  3 :  16  seems  to  be  from  John,  but  the  truth  is  from 
Jesus.  The  account  of  the  interview  closes  with  verse  15,  for  the 
words,  "Only  begotten"  (verses  16  and  18)  are  never  put  in  the 
mouth  of  Jesus,  but  always  ascribed  to  John  (i:  18;  I  John  4:9). 
The  point  of  view  in  verse    9  is  that  of  the  time  w'hen  the  gospel 


Life  of  Christ.  93 

was  written  and  not  when  Jesus  spoke  to  Nicodemus  (Similar  com- 
ments of  John,  see  3:31  to  36;  12:36-43).  16.  "Eternal  Life"  (A. 
V.  "everlasting  life")  in  John's  writings  means  not  only  the  life 
in  Heaven,  but  the  life  on  earth  given  by  Christ  to  those  who  be- 
lieve in  him,  a  life  whose  blessings  begin  in  this  world,  but  which 
are  fully  realized  only  in  the  world  to  come. 

129.  I.  As  John  was  baptizing,  at  Aenon,  near  Salim,  it  is  prob- 
able that  Jesus  was  also  in  the  vicinity.  Finding  it  inexpedient  to 
remain  longer  in  Jerusalem,  and  not  wishing  to  begin  an  independ- 
ent movement  while  John  was  still  at  work,  the  Lord  attaches  him- 
self to  John's  work.  The  baptism  by  Christ's  disciples  was  there- 
fore not  different  from  John's  baptism,  namely,  a  work  of  prepara- 
tion. His  recent  experience  in  Jerusalem  had  shown  him  the  need 
of  making  straight  his  own  path.  2.  Jesus  refrained  from  baptis- 
ing, (i)  because  water  baptism  is  a  ministerial  act,  compared  with 
baptism  with  the  spirit,  (2)  because  it  might  have  resulted  in  spirit- 
ual pride  in  those  baptized  by  Jesus.  3.  Aenon  means,  "place  of 
springs"  and  is  derived  from  the  Hebrew  word  "eye."  Its  location 
is  uncertain.  Robinson  locates  it  four  miles  east  of  Shechem  in 
Samaria.  It  was  probably  in,  or  near  the  territory  of  Herod  An- 
tipas  (Galilee  and  Perea)  for  he  seems  to  have  arrested  John  while 
he  was  preaching  at  this  place.  4.  In  answer  to  petty  jealousies 
on  the  part  of  some  of  John's  disciples,  who  did  not  fully  under- 
stand their  master's  testimony  concerning  Christ,  John  with  sincere 
humility  meant  to  say,  "I  am  the  friend  of  the  bridegroom;"  one 
who,  according  to  Jewish  custom  asked  for  the  hand  of  the  bride 
and  arranged  the  marriage.  My  work  is  done,  I  have  introduced  the 
bride  (the  Jewish  nation),  to  the  bridegroom  (the  Messiah).  And 
if  as  you  say  the  people  do  indeed  flock  to  him,  this  is  exactly  what 
it  was  my  life  work  to  bring  about.  John  probably  had  a  present- 
ment that  the  end  of  his  career  was  at  hand. 

130.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Men  engaged  in  any  kind  of  iniquit- 
ous traffic  always  object  to  having  their  "personal  liberty"  interfered 
with.  2.  Nicodemus,  a  character  study;  He  came  to  Jesus,  (a)  by 
night  (John  3),  (b)  in  the  twilight  (John  7:26,  50),  (c)  in  broad 
daylight  (Lu.  24:20;  John  19:39).  3.  The  teachers  in  Israel  must 
learn  from  the  teacher  come  from  God.  4.  The  soul  of  all  im- 
provement is  the  improvement  of  the  soul  (Bushnell).  5.  Points  of 
comparison  between  Christ  and  the  serpent,  (i)  Bite  was  pain- 
ful and  deadly;  so  is  sin.  (2)  Wound  was  incurable  by  human 
means.  (3)  A  serpent  was  the  means  of  healing  the  bite  of  a 
serpent,  so  the  Saviour  must  be  a  real  man.  (4)  Both  were  lifted 
up.  (5)  Design  was  to  save.  (6)  Condition,  to  look  up  with 
faith.     6.  Luther  calls  John     3 :  16  a  "gospel  within  the  gospel"  for 


94  Life  of  Christ. 

it  contains  all  the  essential  elements  of  the  plan  of  salvation,  its 
author,  motive,  degree  of  love,  ("so"),  scope,  means,  condition, 
purpose.  7.  It  is  the  course  of  wisdom  to  recognize  one's  own 
mission  in  life,  and  it  is  useless  to  wish  for  another's  career.  8. 
The  inscription  in  the  temple  at  Delphi :  "Know  thyself,"  became  the 
motto  of  Socrates.  9.  Goethe:  In  der  Beschraenkung  zeigt  sich 
der  Meister  (Concentration  is  the  secret  of  mastery).  10.  Ele- 
ments of  greatness  in  John's  character:  (a)  self-knowledge,  (b) 
truthfulness,    (c)    confession,    (d)    humility. 

131.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  13,  14;  Stalker,  Ch.  3; 
Andrews,  167;  consult  D.  of  B.  on  each  topic.  Paintings  by  Hof- 
man  and  Kirchbuck;  On  the  "Biogenesis"  see  Drummond's  Natural 
Law  in  the  Spiritual  World ;  Sermons  on  Regeneration,  by  Liddon. 

132.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  What  claim  did  Jesus  make 
by  cleansing  the  temple?  2.  What  new  trait  of  Jesus'  character 
does  this  claim  reveal?  3.  Has  the  cleansing  of  the  temple  any 
bearing  on  the  question  as  to  what  uses  our  church  buildings  should 
be  put  to?  4.  In  what  sense  is  a  church  building  a  "house  of  God?" 
5.  How  did  Jesus  esteem  faith  which  sprang  from  signs?  6.  What 
are  the  points  of  similarity  between  the  uplifting  of  Jesus  and 
the  serpent?  7.  Had  Jesus  at  this  time  the  full  consciousness  of 
his  mission  and  its  results.  8.  What  spirit  does  John  manifest 
toward  Jesus?  9.  What  term  would  characterize  the  feeling  of  the 
Pharisees  and  John's  disciples  toward  Jesus? 


CHAPTER  18. 

Christ's  Ministry  in  Samaria. 

John  4:1-42;  Matt.  4:12;  Mark  1:14.     Harmony,  31-33. 

133.  Reasons  for  Departing  from  Judea.  When  the 
Lord  knew  that  the  Pharisees  had  heard  that  he  was  making 
and  baptizing  more  disciples  than  John,  (although  Jesus 
himself  baptized  not,  but  his  disciples),  he  left  Judea  and 
departed  again  into  Galilee.  A  second  reason  was  the  im- 
prisonment of  John,  which  opened  the  way  for  Christ's  in- 
dependent ministry  in  Galilee. 

134.  Jesus  and  the  Samaritan  Woman,  (i)  On  his 
road  through  Samaria  Jesus  came  to  Sychar,  where  Jacob's 


Life  of  Christ.  95 

well  was.  Being  weary,  he  sat  by  the  well,  at  about  the 
sixth  hour  (noon).  His  disciples  had  gone  into  the  city  to 
buy  food.  (2)  There  cometh  a  woman  of  Samaria  to 
draw  water.  Jesus  :  Give  me  to  drink.  The  woman :  How 
is  it  that  thou  being  a  Jew  askest  drink  of  me,  a  Samaritan 
woman?  (3)  Jesus:  If  thou  knewest  the  gift  of  God,  and 
who  it  is  that  saith  unto  thee.  Give  me  to  drink,  thou 
wouldst  have  asked  of  him,  and  he  would  have  given  thee 
living  water.  Woman:  Thou  hast  nothing  to  draw  with 
and  the  well  is  deep.  Whence  then  hast  thou  that  living 
water  ?  Jesus :  Every  one  that  drinketh  of  this  water  shall 
thirst  again,  but  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I 
shall  give  him,  shall  never  thirst.  Woman:  Give  me  this 
water,  that  I  thirst  not,  neither  come  all  the  way  hither  to 
draw.  (4)  Jesus'  Omniscience.  Jesus :  Go  call  thy  hus- 
band. Woman:  I  have  no  husband.  Jesus:  Thou  saidst 
well ;  for  thou  hast  had  five  husbands,  and  he  whom  thou 
now  hast  is  not  thy  husband.  (5)  True  worship.  Woman: 
I  perceive  thou  art  a  Prophet.  Our  fathers  worshipped  in 
this  mountain,  and  ye  say  that  in  Jerusalem  is  the  place  that 
men  ought  to  worship.  Jesus :  The  hour  cometh  when 
neither  in  this  mountain  nor  in  Jerusalem  shall  ye  worship 
the  father.  God  is  a  spirit  and  they  that  worship  him  must 
worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  (6)  Jesus  the  Messiah. 
Woman :  I  know  that  the  Messiah  cometh ;  he  will  declare 
unto  us  all  things.  Jesus :  I  that  speak  unto  thee,  am  he. 
135.  Jesus  and  his  Disciples,  (i)  Their  surprise. 
Upon  this,  came  his  disciples,  and  marveled  that  he  was 
speaking  with  a  woman,  yet  no  man  said,  why  speakest  thou 
with  her.  (2)  The  woman's  zeal.  The  woman  left  her 
water  pot,  went  into  the  city,  and  saith  to  the  people,  come 
see  a  man,  who  told  me  all  things  that  ever  I  did.  Can  this 
be  the  Christ  ?  They  went  out  of  the  city,  and  were  coming 
to  him.  (3)  Urging  him  to  eat.  Meanwhile  the  disciples 
prayed  him.  Rabbi,  eat.  But  he  said,  I  have  meat  to  eat  that 
ye  know  not.  The  disciples  said,  hath  any  man  brought 
him  aught  to  eat  ?     Jesus  saith,  my  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of 


96  Life  of  Christ. 

him  that  sent  me,  and  to  accomplish  his  work.  (4)  The 
spiritual  harvest.  Say  not  ye  there  are  yet  four  months  and 
then  cometh  the  harvest?  Look  on  the  fields,  they  are 
white  already  to  harvest.  Here  is  the  saying  true,  one  man 
soweth,  and  another  reapeth.  Others  have  labored  (John, 
the  Baptist  and  this  woman)  and  ye  are  entered  into  their 
labor. 

136.  Jesus  and  the  Samaritans,  (i)  Many  of  the 
Samaritans  first  believed  on  him,  because  of  the  word  of 
the  woman.  (2)  When  they  besought  him  to  abide  with 
them,  he  abode  there  two  days.  (3)  And  many  more  be- 
lieved because  of  his  words  and  said  to  the  woman,  now  we 
believe,  not  because  of  thy  speaking,  for  we  have  heard  for 
ourselves,  and  know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Saviour  of  the 
world. 

137.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  the  sources,  locate  the  places, 
and  trace  the  movements  on  the  map ;  memorize  Jno.  4 :  24.  2. 
John:  4:1-3  implies  that  the  reason  why  Jesus  left  Judea,  was  that 
his  work  was  giving  occasion  for  comparison  between  his  success 
and  that  of  John,  to  the  disparagement  of  John.  About  the  same 
time  Jesus  heard  that  John  had  been  imprisoned.  The  Synoptists 
say  that  this  was  the  reason  for  his  departure,  hence  they  date 
the  beginning  of  the  Galilean  ministry  from  the  imprisonment  of 
John  (Matt.  4:12).  Some  hold  that  Jesus  withdrew  from  Judea 
for  the  reason  given  by  John,  but  that  he  delayed  the  actual  be- 
ginning of  work  in  Galilee  as  long  as  John  was  free  and  active. 
At  his  arrival  in  Galilee,  he  dismissed  his  disciples  for  a  brief  space 
of  time.  3.  The  Lord  took  the  direct  road  from  Judea  to  Galilee 
which  passes  through  Samaria.  Very  scrupulous  Jews  went  around 
through  Perea.  4.  On  the  Samaritans  see  Ijii  (2),  also  ^36  and 
D.  of  B.  S.  Jacob's  well  has  been  covered  by  a  succession  of 
churches,  the  last  of  which  was  destroyed  at  the  time  of  the 
Crusades.  Many  of  the  ruins  now  remain.  The  mouth  of  the 
well  is  several  feet  below  the  present  surface  of  the  ground  and 
is  approached  by  steps  leading  to  a  small  doorway  into  a  vaulted 
chamber  about  fifteen  feet  square.  6.  By  "water,"  Jesus  means 
the  spiritual  life  that  he  gives.  Elsewhere  he  calls  it  seed,  bread, 
light,  etc.  7.  God  is  a  spirit,  i.  e.  he  does  not  inhabit  a  material 
body,  hence  his  worship  cannot  be  restricted  to  a  material  temple. 
"Worship  in  tlie  spirit"  is  such  as  is  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit 


Life  of  Christ.  97 

and  prompted  by  reverent  thought  and  deep  feeling.  The  Jews 
with  their  formalities  did  not  worship  in  spirit,  and  the  Samaritans 
with  their  imperfect  idea  of  God  did  not  worship  in  truth.  Both 
have  had  followers  in  all  ages.  8.  The  conversation  with  the 
woman  is  important  for  four  reasons,  (a)  Jesus  unlike  the  rulers 
of  the  time,  was  free  from  national  prejudice  and  nativism,  (b) 
he  had  a  high  regard  for  woman.  It  was  considered  improper  for 
a  rabbi  to  talk  to  a  woman;  even  his  disciples  marveled,  (c)  His 
first  plain  announcement  of  his  Messiahship  was  made  to  a  non- 
Jew  and  a  woman  at  that,  (d)  Jesus'  consciousness  of  his  Mes- 
siahship was  not  a  gradual  development,  but  was  clear  and  positive 
at  the  very  beginning  of  his  ministry,  g.  John  4:35  enables  us  to 
determine  the  time  when  Jesus  went  into  Galilee.  The  commence- 
ment of  the  harvest  was  about  April  ist.  Upon  16  Nisan  a  sheaf 
of  the  first  fruits  of  the  barley  harvest  was  waved  before  the  Lord 
in  the  temple.  Till  this  was  done,  no  one  might  lawfully  gather 
his  grain.  Counting  back  four  months  we  have  December  as  the 
month  in  which  these  words  were  spoken.  10.  To  Christ's  personal- 
work  is  undoubtedly  due  the  religious  awakening  recorded  in  Acts 
8:  14. 

138.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Notice  the  Lord's  deep  interest  m 
persons  causually  met.  2.  We  can  overcome  the  worldly  spirit  by 
deep  interest  in  spiritual  affairs.  The  woman  in  her  zeal  forgets 
her  waterpot  and  Jesus,  his  hunger.  3.  Experience  is  an  unanswer- 
able argument.  4.  The  Greeks  believed  that  before  going  into  the 
Elysian  fields  all  souls  would  drink  from  the  river  Lethe,  and 
forget  all  sins  and  sorrows.  Christ's  water  of  life  gives  relief  now. 
5.  "Water,  water  everywhere,  but  not  a  drop  to  drink."  Coleridge's 
Ancient   Mariner. 

139.  Reference  Literature  and  Questions  for  Discussion.  Con- 
sult Dictionaries;  Farrar,  Ch.  15;  vStalker,  Ch.  3;  Andrews,  183- 
188;  Jos.  Ant.  18,  5,  i;  On  Jacob's  Well,  Hast.  D.  B.  H;  H.  Hof- 
man's  painting,  Jesus  and  the  Woman  of  Samaria.  Point  out  fea- 
tures showing  Christ's  real  humanity.  What  relation  did  Christ's 
baptism  have  to  his  work  and  self-consciousness?  Did  John  and 
Jesus  meet  during  the  thirty  years  of  preparation?  What  does 
Jesus  mean  by  "Salvation  is  of  the  Jews?"  Is  the  act  in  Jno.  2:  15, 
16  and  the  teaching  in  4:21-24  in  harmony?  To  what  extent  was 
Christ's  work  in  this  period  a  failure  and  to  what  extent  was  it 
a  success? 

140.     General  Review. 

I.  With  reference  to  the  whole  "Year  of  Obscurity,"  state,  (i) 
reason  for  the  designation,   (2)   duration,   (3)   events  and  dates  of 


98  Life  of  Christ. 

beginning  and  end  of  period,  (4)  the  two  sub-divisions,  (5)  source 
of  information  by  gospels  and  chapters,  (6)  trace  Jesus'  move- 
ments, mentioning  in  their  proper  order,  the  places  and  what  oc- 
curred in  each,  (7)  names  of  disciples,  (8)  miracles.  2.  State  aim 
and  general  traits  of  the  ministry  during  this  period.  3.  Which 
events  prepared  Christ  for  his  ministry,  and  which  prepared  the 
people  and  how?  4.  State  time,  place  and  subject  of  John's  preach- 
ing; his  personal  appearance  and  mode  of  living;  the  classes  of 
hearers,  the  popular  opinion  of  him,  his  own  explanation  of  his 
mission,  some  conspicuous  features  of  his  character  and  his  dif- 
ferent testimonies  to  Jesus'  person  and  work.  5.  How  did  Jesus 
show  that  he  approved  of  John's  work,  and  how  did  John  show 
that  he  realized  his  true  relationship  to  Jesus? 


DIVISION  III. 

The  Year  of  Popularity 

From   the  Opening  of   the  Galilean   Ministry  to  the  Crisis  at 

Capernaum, — Dec,  A.  D.  27- April,  A.  D.  29 — or 

about  16  months 

TWO  SUB-DIVISIONS. 

I.  First  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry.  From  the  Opening  of 
the  Galilean  Ministry  to  the  Choosing  of  the  Twelve,  December. 
A.  D.  27-Early  Summer,  A.   D.  28,  or  about  six  months. 

II.  Second  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry.     From  the  Choosing 
of  the  Twelve  to  the  Crisis  at  Capernaum.     From  Early  Sum- 
mer, A.  D.  28  to  April  A.  D.  29,  or  about  ten  months. 

First  Sub-division. 

FIRST  PERIOD  OF  THE  GALILEAN  MINISTRY. 

CHAPTER  19. 

Opening  of  the  Galilean  Ministry. 

Mt.  14:3-5;  Mk.  6:17-18;  Lnke  4:14-30;  John  4:43-54. 
Harmony  34-36. 

141.  Imprisonment  of  John.  About  Jan.  A.  D.  28, 
Herod  Antipas  cast  John  into  the  prison  Machaerus,  for  the 
sake  of  Herodias.  his  brother  Philip's  wife  whom  he  had 
married.  For  John  had  said  to  Herod,  It  is  not  lawful  for 
thee  to  have  thy  brother's  wife. 

142.  Beginning  of  Christ's  Galilean  Ministry,  (i) 
After  the  two  days'  work  in  Samaria,  Christ  arrived  in 
Galilee,  with  the  intention  of  retiring^;  not  to  preach,  for 

99 


lOO  Life  of  Christ. 

Jesus  himself  testified  that  a  prophet  hath  no  honor  in  his 
own  country.  (2)  But  contrary  to  expectation  the  Galileans 
received  him,  having  seen  all  the  things  that  he  did  in  Jeru- 
salem at  the  passover,  April  11,  A.  D.  27.  (3)  Moreover, 
as  John  was  now  imprisoned  Jesus  decided  to  begin  his 
independent  ministry.  He  preached  the  gospel  of  God,  say- 
ing. The  time  is  fulfilled  and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at 
hand:   repent  ye,  and  believe   in  the  gospel. 

143.  Healing  of  the  Nobleman's  Son.  (i)  On  his 
way  to  Nazareth  Jesus  again  came  to  Cana.  (2)  A  noble- 
man whose  son  was  at  the  point  of  death  at  Capernaum, 
heard  of  it  and  besought  him  to  come  and  heal  his  child. 
Jesus  said :  Except  ye  see  signs  and  wonders,  ye  will  in  no 
wise  believe.  The  nobleman  saith :  Sir,  come  down  ere  my 
child  die.  Jesus  saith:  Go  thy  way;  thy  son  liveth.  (3) 
The  man  believed  the  word,  and  went  his  way.  As  he  was 
going  down  his  servants  met  him,  saying  that  his  son  lived. 
(4)  He  inquired  the  hour  when  he  began  to  mend.  They 
said :  Yesterday  at  the  seventh  hour  the  fever  left  him. 
The  father  knew  that  it  was  at  that  hour  in  which  Jesus 
said  unto  him :  Thy  son  liveth  :  and  he  believed,  and  his 
whole  house.      (5)   This  is  the  second  sign  that  Jesus  did. 

144.  First  Rejection  at  Nazareth,  ( i )  From  Cana 
Jesus  went  to  Nazareth,  and  as  his  custom  was  he  entered 
into  the  synagogue  on  the  sabbath  day  and  stood  up  and 
read  from  Isaiah  61,  "The  spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me, 
because  he  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  to  the  poor : 
and  to  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord.  Then  he 
sat  down  and  said :  To-day  hath  this  scripture  been  ful- 
filled in  your  ears.  (2)  They  all  wondered  at  the  words  of 
grace  which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth  :  and  said,  Is  not 
this  Joseph's  son.  (3)  He  said.  Doubtless  ye  will  say  unto 
me,  Physician  heal  thyself :  what  we  have  heard  done  at 
Capernaum  (to  the  nobleman's  son)  do  also  here  in  thine 
own  country.  (4)  But  he  added.  No  prophet  is  acceptable 
in  his  own  country.  There  were  many  widows  in  Israel  in 
the  days  of  Elijah,  vrhen  there  came  a  great  famine  and 


Life  of  Christ.  loi 

unto  none  of  them  was  Elijah  sent,  but  only  to  Zarephath 
in  the  land  of  Sidon,  unto  a  widow.  And  there  were  many 
lepers  in  Israel  in  the  time  of  Elisha  and  none  of  them  was 
cleansed,  but  only  Naaman  the  Syrian.  (5)  This  reference 
to  Gentile  preference  filled  them  with  wrath  and  they  cast 
him  out  of  the  city  and  led  him  unto  the  brow  of  the  hill 
whereon  their  city  was  built,  that  they  might  throw  him 
down.  But  he  passing  through  the  midst  of  them  went  his 
way. 

145.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources.  Lo- 
cate the  places  on  the  map;  memorize  Luke  4:  18.  2.  Herod  An- 
tipas  had  put  away  his  wife,  the  daughter  of  Aretas,  king  of 
Arabia,  after  having  been  married  15  years,  in  order  to  marry  a 
princess  of  his  own  blood,  Herodias,  whom  he  had  met  at  Rome,  she 
being  the  wife  of  his  half-brother  Philip.  She  consented  on  con- 
dition that  Herod  divorce  his  wife.  When  the  latter  learned  of 
this,  she  fled  to  her  father,  who  thereupon  made  war  upon  Herod. 
This  adulterous  union  shocked  the  Jewish  nation  and  John  became 
their  mouth-piece.  To  punish  the  Baptist  for  his  burning  words, 
Herod  Antipas  had  him  imprisoned  in  the  fortress  of  Machaerus, 
in  the  mountains  of  Moab,  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  on  the  pretence  that 
the  crowds  which  his  preaching  drew  were  a  disturbance  to  the 
public  peace  (cf.  Josephus).  3.  Supposing  that  he  appeared  in  public 
in  the  summer  of  A.  D.  26,  and  that  he  was  imprisoned  in  Jan., 
A.  D.  28,  John's  whole  public  ministry  lasted  about  18  months.  4. 
From  this  point  the  Synoptists  begin  their  continuous  narrative  of 
the  Life  of  Christ.  What  precedes  this  in  each  of  them  is  in- 
troductory. 5.  The  reason  why  the  imprisonment  of  the  Baptist  is 
made  so  prominent  in  the  narrative  of  the  Synoptists,  and  why  the 
beginning  of  Christ's  ministry  in  Galilee  is  brought  in  so  close  con- 
nection with  it  is  because  this  event  marks  the  great  turning  point 
in  Christ's  ministry.  No  doubt  before,  but  certainly  after  Christ's 
baptism,  John  repeatedly  bore  witness  to  the  rulers  that  the  Mes- 
siah was  near  at  hand,  and  to  the  deputation  he  even  said,  "he  is 
standing  in  the  midst  of  you."  As  the  rulers  took  no  steps  to 
seek  him,  Christ  went  to  the  Temple,  cleansed  it,  met  them,  and 
thus  addressed  himself  to  the  Jewish  people  in  their  corporate 
capacity  as  a  nation  represented  by  its  ecclesiastical  rulers.  Had 
the  nation  as  a  nation  received  the  Messiah,  the  method  for  the  pro- 
pogation  of  the  gospel  might  have  become  a  different  one.  The 
whole  nation  would  have  become  the  great  missionary  of  the  world. 


I02  Life  of  Christ. 

But  they  disregarded  the  Baptist's  and  the  Lord's  work.  When  the 
imprisonment  of  John  closed  his  peculiar  Avork  of  preparation  and 
the  failure  of  his  mission  was  plainly  seen  the  Lord  inaugurated 
another  method.  He  went  to  Galilee,  selected  individuals  from  the 
nation  who  should  still  aim  at  national  salvation,  but,  in  case  of 
failure,  they  should  take  the  place  of  the  hierarchy  and  become  the 
builders  of  the  kingdom.  6.  Jno.  4 :  44  states  either  the  reason  for 
leaving  Judca,  which  he  could  call  "his  own  country"  because  he 
was  born  there,  or  a  prophecy  of  his  reception  at  Nazareth.  It  is 
also  possible  that  "for"  in  Jno.  4:44  is  used  in  the  sense  of  "al- 
though." See  also  the  narrative  parts.  7.  In  Galilee  Christ  could 
labor  zvithout  hindrance:  (a)  since  Herod  Antipas  did  not  trouble 
himself  concerning  any  religious  movements  that  did  not  disturb 
the  public  peace,  (b)  the  Galilean  people  were  less  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  hierarchy  and  were  more  open  to  his  words.  8. 
After  the  Lord's  arrival  in  Galilee,  he  dismissed  his  disciples  for  a 
time.  They  went  to  their  respective  homes  until  they  were  recalled 
later  at  Capernaum.  9.  It  is  interesting  to  trace  during  this  and 
the  following  periods  (a)  the  Lord's  progressive  self-manifestation, 
(b)  the  gradual  training  of  the  Twelve,  (c)  the  deepening  and 
spreading  hostility  of  the  Jewish  influential  classes.  10.  The  Gali- 
lean ministry  began  in  great  popularity  which  was  followed  by 
criticism,  hostihty  and  opposition  from  the  leaders,  and  loss  of 
favor  with  the  people  because  of  his  break  with  them  at  Caper- 
naum. It  resulted  in  the  practical  withdrawal  from  public  work 
in  Galilee,  and  in  his  devoting  his  attention  to  the  training  of  the 
Twelve. 

146.  I.  The  exact  title  of  the  nobleman  is  "basilicos,"  "a  king's 
officer,"  i.  e.  an  official  of  the  government  of  Herod  Antipas.  2. 
Jesus  did  not  wish  to  be  known  simply  as  a  worker  of  miracles. 
The  faith  that  rested  exclusively  on  miracles  was  not  regarded  by 
Jesus  as  thoroughly  trustworthy  (Jno.  2:  li,  23).  3.  As  the  noble- 
man probably  returned  to  Capernaum  after  sunset  (about  9  P.  M.) 
the  healing  is  spoken  of  according  to  Jewish  reckoning  as  having 
happened  "yesterday,"  i.  e.  at  about  i  P.  M.  4.  On  the  service  in 
the  synagogue,  see  II34.  5  Very  likely  Isa.  61:1  which  was  read  by 
the  Lord  was  the  pcricope  (the  "haphtharim")  appointed  for  the 
day.  6.  While  reading,  the  teacher  in  the  synagogue  stood  up; 
when  speaking  he  sat  down.  7.  Here  we  have  Christ's  first  re- 
corded sermon:  i  text,  2  exposition,  3  application,  4  result.  8. 
This  rejection  in  Nazareth  is  to  be  distinguished  from  the  one 
during  the  second  Galilean  period  recorded  in  Matt.  18:53-58; 
Mark  6:1-6.  (a)  On  this  visit  he  is  alone,  on  the  other  he  is 
accompanied  by  his   disciples;    (b)    here  he  escapes    from  the  at- 


Life  of  Christ.  103 

tack  and  leaves  the  city  at  once,  there  he  continued  in  the  city  for 
a  time;  (c)  after  this  rejection  he  went  to  Capernaum,  after  the 
other,  "he  went  round  about  the  villages  teaching."  9.  Physician 
heal  thyself,  that  is :  work  a  miracle  by  which  you,  the  carpenter, 
may  rise  to  the  dignity  commensurate  with  your  Messianic  claims. 
ID.  The  point  in  each  of  the  references  to  the  Old  Testament  is 
that  though  there  was  plenty  of  opportunity  for  a  prophet  to  do 
good  in  his  own  country,  both  prophets  helped  foreigners  because  of 
Israel's  unbelief.  Divine  gifts  are  distributed  on  a  different  prin- 
ciple than  local  favoritism,  ir.  The  traditional  site  of  the  brow 
of  the  hill  is  a  long  distance  from  the  city.  It  may  possibly  be, 
however,  that  the  modern  town  is  not  exactly  in  the  same  loca- 
tion as  the  ancient  one  was. 

147.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  The  faith  of  the  head  of  the  house- 
hold usually  influences  all  its  members  (Jno.  4:53.  Also  Acts  4: 
14;  16:34).  2.  The  divine  origin  of  Christianity  is  indicated  by  its 
great  effects  (Isa.  61:  i).  3.  It  is  foolish  and  wicked  to  hate  the 
preacher  for  speaking  the  truth ;  destroying  him  will  not  change  the 
truth.  4.  Most  of  the  best  and  greatest  men  have  risen  from 
social  obscurity  (Luther,  Lincoln).  5.  It  is  easier  for  us  to  be- 
lieve in  Christ,  because  distance  not  only  "lends  enchantment  to 
the  view,"  but  also  brings  a  truer  vision,  a  fairer  judgment. 

148.  Literary  References.  Farrar,  Ch.  17;  Andrews,  209-244; 
the  painting  by  Raphael,  Miraculous  Draught  of  Fishes;  Eder- 
sheim's  Life  of  Christ  I,  422;  On  Nazareth,  see  D.  of  B.  by  Davis, 
p.  505 ;  also  D.  B.  by  Piercy,  p.  547 ;  and  by  Hastings. 

149.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  What  was  the  connection  be- 
tween John's  imprisonment  and  the  beginning  of  the  Galilean  minis- 
try? 2.  Why  is  it  not  plausible  that  Christ  left  Judea  for  Galilee 
because  of  fear  of  Herod?  3.  Did  the  Pharisees  have  anything  to 
do  with  John's  arrest?  4.  What  was  the  point  in  the  two  illustra- 
tions which  Christ  used  at  Nazareth?  5.  Is  there  still  danger  of 
underestimating  Jesus  because  we  hear  so  much  about  him?  6.  Are 
there  reasons  why  most  of  our  great  men  came  from  obscure  fam- 
ilies? 


I04  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  20. 

Removal  to  Capernaum,  and  First  Preaching  Tour. 

Matt.  4:  13-23;  8:2-4;  Mk.  i:  16-45;  Lu.  4:  1-44;  5:  12-15. 
Harmony  37-40. 

150.  Removal  to  Capernaum.  After  his  rejection,  and 
partly  because  of  it,  Jesus  himself  and  either  all  or  a  part 
of  his  family  removed  to  Capernaum  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee, 
which  from  now  on  is  frequently  called  "his  city,"  that  is, 
his  home. 

151.  Recall  of  the  Four  Disciples,  (i)  Soon  after  his 
removal  he  recalled  four  of  his  six  disciples  who  had  gone 
home  when,  in  Dec,  A.  D.  2'j,  he  went  from  Samaria  to 
Galilee,  namely,  Peter,  Andrew,  John  and  James.  (2) 
Walking  by  the  sea,  the  multitude  pressed  upon  him  to  hear 
the  word  of  God.  He  saw  two  boats  standing,  but  the  fish- 
ermen had  gone  out  of  them  and  were  washing  their  nets. 
He  entered  into  Simon's  boat  and  asked  him  to  put  out  a 
little  from  the  land.  He  sat  down  and  taught  the  multi- 
tudes. (3)  Then  he  said  unto  Simon,  Put  out  into  the 
deep,  and  let  down  your  nets  for  a  draught.  Simon  said, 
Master,  we  toiled  all  night,  and  took  nothing;  but  at  thy 
word  I  will  let  down  the  nets.  And  they  enclosed  a  great 
multitude  of  fishes ;  and  their  nets  were  breaking.  They 
l^eckoned  unto  their  partners  in  the  other  boat,  that  they 
should  come  and  help  them.  They  came  and  filled  both 
the  boats  so  that  they  began  to  sink.  (4)  Simon,  when  he 
saw  it,  fell  down  at  Jesus'  knees,  saying.  Depart  from  me 
for  I  am  a  sinful  man.  For  he  and  James  and  John  were 
amazed  at  the  draught  of  fishes.  (5)  Jesus  said  unto 
Simon,  Fear  not,  from  henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men. 
And  all  four  brought  their  boats  to  land,  left  all  and  fol- 
lowed him. 

152.  Teaching  and  Casting  Out  a  Demon  at  Caper- 
naum.    ( I )   When  he  was  teaching  on  the  sabbath  in  the 


Life  of  Christ.  105 

synagogue  of  Capernaum  the  people  were  astonished,  for 
his  word  was  with  authority.  (2)  There  was  a  man,  pos- 
sessed with  an  unclean  spirit  who  cried,  Jesus,  thou  Naz- 
arene,  art  thou  come  to  destroy  us  ?  I  know  thee  who  thou 
art :  the  Holy  One  of  God.  Jesus  rebuked  him,  Hold  thy 
peace  and  come  out  of  him.  The  demon  threw  him  down 
and  came  out  of  him  having  done  him  no  hurt.  (3)  Amaze- 
ment came  upon  all  and  they  spake  together.  What  is  this? 
A  new  teaching?  For  with  authority  and  power  he  com- 
mandeth  the  unclean  spirits  and  they  come  out.  (4)  There 
went  forth  a  rumor  concerning  him  into  every  place  of  the 
regions  around  about. 

153.  Healing  of  Peter's  Mother-in-law.  (i)  He  rose 
up  from  the  synagogue  and  entered  into  the  house  of  Simon 
whose  wife's  mother  was  holden  with  a  great  fever.  When 
they  besought  him  for  her,  he  rebuked  the  fever,  and  it 
left  her.  (3)  Immediately  she  rose  up  and  ministered  unto 
them. 

154.  Healing  on  the  Sabbath  Evening,  (i)  When 
the  sun  was  setting  all  that  had  any  sick  brought  them  and 
he  laid  hands  on  them  and  healed  them.  (2)  Demons  also 
came  out  from  many,  crying  out,  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God. 
(3)  But  rebuking  them,  he  suffered  them  not  to  speak,  be- 
cause they  knew  that  he  was  the  Christ. 

155.  First  Preaching  Tour  in  Galilee,  (i)  On  the  fol- 
lowing day,  very  early,  he  went  into  a  desert  place  to  pray ; 
(2)  The  multitude  sought  after  him,  and  would  have  stayed 
him,  that  he  should  not  go  from  them.  (3)  Simon  when 
he  found  him,  said,  all  are  seeking  thee.  But  Jesus  said,  I 
must  preach  the  good  tidings  of  the  kingdom  of  God  to  the 
other  cities  also :  for  therefore  was  I  sent.  (4)  So  he 
preached  in  the  synagogues  throughout  all  Galilee  and  cast 
out  demons.  (5)  In  one  of  the  cities  a  man  full  of  leprosy 
fell  on  his  face,  saying.  Lord,  if  thou  wilt  thou  canst  make 
me  clean.  Jesus  touched  him  and  said,  I  will ;  be  thou 
made  clean.  Straightway  the  leprosy  departed  from  him. 
(6)   Jesus  charged  him,  tell  no  man ;  but  show  thyself  to  the 


io6  Life  of  Christ. 

priest  and  offer  for  thy  cleansing,  according  as  Moses  com- 
manded, for  a  testimony  unto  them.  (7)  But  he  published 
it,  so  that  Jesus  could  enter  no  more  into  the  city.  (8) 
Great  multitudes  came  together  to  hear  Jesus  and  to  be 
healed  of  their  infirmities.  But  he  withdrew  himself  in  the 
desert,  and  prayed. 

156.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources,  espec- 
ially Luke's  report  of  the  call  with  the  others ;  locate  places  on  the 
map;  memorize  Luke  5:  5.  Draw  a  map  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  lo- 
cating the  chief  cities.  2.  On  Capernaum,  see  I17  (2).  3.  The  Sea 
of  Galilee  (Lake  of  Genesareth  or  Sea  of  Tiberias)  is  an  expan- 
sion of  the  Jordan  and  is  13  miles  long,  and  at  no  point  over  8  miles 
wide.  Its  surface  is  682  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Med.  It  is 
enclosed  on  all  sides  by  steep  mountains  except  on  the  North  East. 
Of  the  nine  populous  cities  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament  which 
stood  upon  its  shores,  all  are  now  ruins  with  the  exception  of 
Tiberias  (See  ^5).  4.  In  the  selection  of  Capernaum  as  the  cen- 
ter of  his  activity  Christ  was  probably  determined  chiefly  by  its 
location  on  the  sea  and  on  one  of  the  principal  highways.  This 
gave  him  better  facilities  for  intercourse  with  men  than  the  more 
secluded  Nazareth.  5.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  Lord 
resided  in  the  house  of  Peter.  Some  think  that  Peter  furnished 
him  a  house  for  his  own  exclusive  use.  It  is  certain  that  Jesus 
did  not  own  his  own  home  (Matt.  8:20;  8:14;  Mark  1:29).  6. 
The  change  of  abode  seems  to  have  included  the  zvhole  family  ex- 
cept the  sisters  (Mark  6:3;  Matt.  13:56).  7.  There  were  three 
stages  in  the  fellowship  of  the  apostles  with  Christ :  (a)  A  call 
to  faith  in  him  as  the  Messiah,  involving  only  an  occasional  absence 
from  their  families  and  business.  "Private  Men  Following  Christ," 
(Lightfoot).  During  this  stage  they  stood  in  a  similar  relation  to 
that  which  some  of  them  had  occupied  toward  the  Baptist,  (b) 
A  call  to  ivork  involving  the  abandonment  of  secular  occupations 
and  a  constant  attendance  on  his  person,  (c)  A  call  to  lead, 
as  special  apostles.  8.  To  convince  these  men  of  his  ability  to 
supply  their  temporal  needs,  the  Lord  worked  the  miracle  of  the 
draught  of  fishes.  9.  Peter's  exclamation,  Luke  5 : 8,  did  not  ex- 
press a  real  desire  that  Christ  should  go  away,  but  showed  his 
awe  at  the  divine  power  that  Christ  had  manifested,  and  his  feel- 
ing of  unworthiness  to  be  in  Christ's  presence.  10.  The  mention  of 
two  vessels  and  hired  servants  together  with  John's  acquaintance 
with  the  Highpriest  (Jno.  18:15)  indicate  that  Zebedee  was  well- 
to-do  and  explains  how  his  wife  Salome  could  supply  the  temporal 


Life  of  Christ.  107 

needs  of  Jesus.  11.  At  what  time  Peter  left  his  native  city  Betli- 
saida  (Jno.  1:44),  and  took  up  his  residence  at  Capernaum  is  not 
known.  From  the  fact,  however,  that  his  mother-in-law  was  in 
his  house  we  may  conclude  that  his  wife  was  a  native  of  Caper- 
naum, and  that  at  his  marriage  he  moved  to  that  city.  12.  It  is 
important  to  know  that  Peter  was  married  when  the  Lord  called 
him  to  the  apostleship,  because  it  shows  that  Jesus  did  not  regard 
marriage  as  an  impediment  in  his  special  service.  They  enjoyed  a 
long  period  of  married  life,  for  at  the  time  when  the  first  epistle  to 
the  Corinthians  was  written  (in  57),  Peter's  wife  was  not  only 
living  but  strong  enough  to  accompany  her  husband  on  his  mis- 
sionary  journey    (i    Cor.   9:5). 

157.  I.  He  taught  them  as  having  authority.  The  scribes  were 
professional  teachers  of  the  Law  and  their  method  of  teaching 
was  to  quote  copiously  the  opinions  of  their  predecessors.  Their 
teaching  therefore  impressed  the  people  as  discussion  rather  than 
truth.  With  Jesus  precisely  the  opposite  was  true.  He  did  not 
argue  but  presented  his  doctrine  unsupported  as  eternal  truth.  2. 
Luke's  precise  name  "great  fever"  points  to  his  professional  knowl- 
edge of  disease  (Col.  4:16).  Greek  writers  of  medicine  make  a 
distinction  between  great  and  small  fevers.  3.  On  the  Miracles, 
see  the  chapter  on  "The  Work  of  Christ."  4.  One  reason  for 
Christ's  going  into  the  country  may  have  been  to  allay  the  excite- 
ment among  the  people,  lest  the  crowds  should  cause  trouble  with 
the  Roman  rulers,  who  dealt  very  severely  with  anything  that  might 
lead  to  an  insurrection.  But  the  chief  reason  was  stated  by  Christ 
himself.  5.  We  have  no  data  to  decide  the  duration  of  the  first 
preaching  tour  in  Galilee  nor  of  the  particular  parts  of  Galilee 
visited.  It  is  probable  that  he  was  at  Bethsaida  and  Chorazin,  two 
places  adjacent  to  Capernaum,  because  they  are  included  in  a  later 
warning,  and  yet  we  have  no  record  of  our  Lord's  visit  there.  6. 
Leprosy  was  one  of  the  most  terrible  of  diseases.  It  was  con- 
tagious and  incurable.  Lepers  were  banished  from  society,  and 
suffered  terribly  till  death  came  to  their  relief.  The  healing  of  the 
leper  was  therefore  an  especially  notable  miracle.  7.  Jesus  showed 
his  fearlessness  and  his  sympathy  by  touching  this  leper  when  he 
healed  him.  8.  The  healing  of  the  leper  must  have  been  done 
privately.  Christ  enjoined  silence  upon  him  because  he  was  un- 
willing that  the  people  should  look  upon  him  as  a  mere  miracle 
worker.     It  was  the  Word  which  he  wished  to  make  prominent. 

158.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  To-day  men  are  just  as  thoroughly 
under  Satan's  control  as  the  demoniacs,  but  it  is  usually  evident 
in  other  ways.  2.  We  are  saved  in  order  to  serve  (Mt.  8:  15).  3. 
The  heahng  touch  of  Jesus  cools  the  fevers  caused  by  lust,  love 


lo8  Life  of  Christ. 

of  money,  pleasure,  undue  ambition,  worldliness,  fanaticism.  4. 
No  large  growth  in  holiness  was  ever  gained  without  taking  time 
to  be  often  and  long  alone  with  God  (Mk.  1:35).  5.  Even  to-day 
some  good  people  object  to  carrying  the  gospel  to  others.  6.  Like 
the  leper,  saved  people  find  it  hard  not  to  speak  of  Jesus.  7.  Lep- 
rosy is  a  symbol  of  sin:  (a)  it  defiles,  (b)  excludes  from  society 
(especially  in  its  grosser  forms),  (c)  is  beyond  human  remedies, 
(d)  leads  to  an  early  and  awful  death,  (e)  God  only  can  heal  it 
(culture  can  not). 

159.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  19;  Andrews,  245; 
on  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  see  Davis'  D.  B.,  p.  233,  and  Stanly,  Sinai  and 
Pal.,  p.  375;  on  leprosy,  Davis'  D.  B.,  p.  430;  Hast.  D.  of  C.  II,  28; 
and  Piercy's  D.  B.,  p.  472;  on  demoniacal  possessions,  Davis'  D.  B., 
p.  166;  Piercy,  p.  208;  Nevin's  "Dem.  Possessions;"  on  miracles, 
Davis,  p.  481 ;  on  the  synagog,  Davis,  p.  714. 

160.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  How  did  the  synagogue  ser- 
vice resemble  our  church  services  and  how  did  it  diflfer  from  them? 
2.  How  can  a  man's  business  be  made  to  advance  the  kingdom  of 
God?  3.  What  was  the  purpose  of  the  miraculous  draught  of 
fishes?  4.  What  is  the  difference  in  net  fishing  and  hand  fishing 
as  applied  to  soul  winning?  5.  Why  did  Jesus  silence  this  man's 
testimony?  6.  Why  did  Christ  command  the  leper  to  obey  the 
laws  (Lev.  14:  1-9).  7.  Did  the  report  of  this  leper  help  or  hinder 
his  work?  (v.  39).  8.  What  are  the  advantages  and  dangers  of 
popularity?  9.  How  does  the  leper  illustrate  the  danger  lying  in 
thoughtless  earnestness? 


CHAPTER  21. 
Growing  Hostility  of  the  Pharisees  at  Capernaum. 

Matt.  9:  1-17;  Alk.  2:  1-22;  Lu.  5:  17-39.     Harmony  41-43. 

161.  The  Paralytic  borne  of  Four,  (i)  After  his  re- 
turn from  the  first  preaching  tour  to  Capernaum,  one  day 
when  Jesus  was  teaching,  and  the  Pharisees  and  doctors  of 
the  law  were  sitting  1)y,  who  were  come  out  of  every  vil- 
lage of  Galilee  from  Judea  and  Jerusalem :  four  men  bring 
a  man  lying  on  a  bed  sick  of  palsy.  (2)  Not  finding  by 
what  way  tlicy  might  bring  him  in  because  of  the  multitude, 
they  went  up  to  the  house-top  and  let  him  down  through  the 


Life  of  Christ.  109 

tiles  with  his  couch  before  Jesus.  (3)  Seeing  their  faith 
he  said,  Man,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee.  (4)  The  scribes 
and  Pharisees  began  to  reason,  Who  is  this  that  speaketh 
blasphemies?  Who  can  forgive  sins  but  God  alone?  (5) 
Jesus  perceiving  their  reasonings  said.  Which  is  easier  to 
say.  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee ;  or  to  say,  Arise  and  walk  ? 
But  that  ye  may  know  that  the  Son  of  ]\Ian  has  authority 
on  earth  to  forgive  sins  he  said  to  the  sick :  Arise,  and  take 
up  thy  couch,  and  go  into  thy  house.  Immediately  he  did 
so,  glorifying  God.  (6)  They  were  filled  with  fear,  say- 
ing, We  have  seen  strange  things  to-day. 

162.  Call  of  Matthew — Levi.  Soon  after  this,  on  his 
way  to  the  seaside,  Jesus  beheld  a  publican  named  Matthew 
or  Levi,  sitting  at  the  place  of  toll,  and  said :  Follow  me. 
And  he  did  so. 

163.  Levi's  Feast  of  Honor,  (i)  To  express  his  grat- 
itude to  Jesus,  Levi  made  a  great  feast  in  his  house  in  honor 
of  the  Lord,  and  many  publicans  and  others  were  present. 
(2)  The  Pharisees  and  scribes  murmured  against  his  dis- 
ciples, saying:  Why  do  ye  and  your  master  eat  with  the 
publicans  and  sinners?  (3)  Jesus  said,  They  that  are  in 
health  have  no  need  of  a  physician ;  but  they  that  are  sick. 
I  am  not  come  to  call  the  righteous  but  sinners  to  repent- 
ance. 

164.  Jesus  on  Fasting,  (i)  Levi's  feast  was  probably 
held  on  one  of  the  Pharisaic  fast-days  (Monday  or  Thurs- 
day). (2)  So  John's  disciples  (and  the  Pharisees)  said 
to  Jesus :  Why  do  we  and  the  Pharisees  fast  oft  but  thy  dis- 
ciples fast  not?  (3)  Jesus  said.  Can  ye  make  the  sons  of 
the  bride  chamber  fast  while  the  bridegroom  is  with  them  ? 
The  days  will  come  when  the  bridegroom  shall  be  taken 
away,  then  will  they  fast.  (4)  No  man  seweth  a  piece 
from  a  new  garment  upon  an  old  garment,  else  he  will  rend 
the  new,  and  also  the  piece  from  the  new  will  not  agree 
with  the  old.  (5)  No  man  putteth  new  wine  into  old  wine- 
skins, else  the  new  wine  will  burst  the  skins  and  itself  will 
be  spilled  and  the  skins  will  perish.     But  the  new  wine  must 


no  Life  of  Christ. 

be  put  into   fresh   wine   skins.     (6)   Yet  no  man  having 
drunk  old  wine  desireth  new,  for  he  saith,  The  old  is  good. 

165.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources;  no- 
tice Mark's  graphic  description,  locate  places  on  map;  memorize 
Mk.  2:  I".  2.  These  Pharisees  and  doctors  of  the  law,  were,  ac- 
cording to  Josephus  a  sort  of  village  schoolmaster,  or  a  class  of 
inferior  municipal  magistrates.  3.  It  is  not  necessary  to  suppose 
them  to  have  been  present  with  evil  intent.  Perhaps  they  came  to 
judge  by  personal  observation  how  far  the  popular  reports  concern- 
ing Christ  were  true.  Some  of  them  may  even  have  expected 
to  find  him  the  Messiah,  but  were  turned  into  enemies.  4.  On 
paralysis,  see  D.  B.  5.  Roofs  in  Palestine  were  flat.  The  rafters 
and  boards  were  often  covered  with  a  thatch  or  mat  of  grass,  on 
which  there  were  several  inches  of  clay  or  mud  trodden  hard. 
Such  a  roof  could  easily  be  removed.  The  houses  often  had 
stairs  on  the  outside  leading  up  to  the  roof.  6.  On  their  supposi- 
tion that  Jesus  was  a  mere  man,  their  charge  of  blasphemy  was 
just.  7.  By  doing  an  act,  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  which  can 
be  instantly  detected,  Christ  attests  his  power  to  be  able  to  do 
that  which  in  its  very  nature  is  outside  the  regions  of  visible 
proof.  8.  On  the  identity  of  Matthezv  with  Levi  see  ^182.  9.  It 
is  probable  that  the  place  of  toll  where  Levi  sat  was  upon  the  road 
near  its  entrance  into  the  city  of  Capernaum.  10.  The  manner  of 
this  call  presupposes  a  former  acquaintance  of  Jesus  with  Levi.  It 
is  not  improbable  that  he  was  already  a  disciple  in  the  wider  sense 
of  the  word.  11.  Matthew  was  no  doubt  one  of  the  good  publi- 
cans, for  Jesus  would  hardly  have  called  a  dishonest  man  to  be  a 
leader  in  his  church.  12.  The  call  of  Levi  must  have  been  a 
stumbling  block  to  the  Pharisaic  party  and  to  all  Jewish  patriots, 
for  his  occupation  was  odious  to  them,  it  being  the  sign  of  their 
national  degradation.  The  Talmud  says,  "A  Pharisee  who  turns 
publican  must  be  turned  out  of  the  order."  13.  From  the  offense 
taken  we  may  infer  that  the  supper  was  on  Monday  or  Thursday, 
which  two  days  were  observed  by  the  more  scrupulous  Jews  as  fast 
days.  In  the  law  only  one  day  of  fasting  was  commanded — the 
day  of  Atonement.  14.  The  feast  at  Levi's  lionse,  the  wedding  at 
Cana,  the  meal  at  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee  (Luke  7:  30-50), 
the  dinner  given  by  Simon  the  leper  (Mark  14:3-9)  and  the  ban- 
quet by  one  of  the  chief  Pharisees  (Luke  14:  1-5)  show  that  Christ 
was  no  ascetic  like  John.  He  did  not  attend  these  feasts,  however, 
merely  for  pleasure.  They  were  opportunities  for  self-revelation 
and  helpfulness  to  others.  15.  "IVine-skins"  (A.  V.  "bottles")  were 
receptacles  made  of  the  skins  of  animals.     These  became  stiff  and 


Life  of  Christ.  iii 

brittle  with  age.  New  wine  in  fermenting  would  break  them. 
They  were  strong  when  new,  but  weak  when  old.  i6.  By  the 
old  garments  and  the  old  bottles  Christ  means  the  Mosiac  law : 
by  the  new  cloth  and  the  new  wine  he  means  his  own  doctrine. 
Men,  enlarged  by  Christ's  spirit,  need  a  wider  garment,  the  liberty 
of  the  children  of  God.  The  new  gospel  will  burst  the  old  forms. 
Christ  refused  to  sew  his  new  faith  like  a  patchwork  upon  a  dis- 
pensation worn  out  and  soon  to  pass  away.  17.  "The  old  is  good" 
is  the  language  of  false  conservatism.  Progress  under  the  guidance 
of  the   Spirit  is  the  law  of  God's  kingdom    (Jno.   14:26). 

166.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Sin  is  like  paralysis — a  weakness  of 
the  conscience  and  will  to  do  good,  hard  to  cure,  ending  in  death. 
2.  It  is  our  privilege  to  bring  those  to  Christ  who  cannot  or  will  not 
come  of  themselves.  3.  Faith  will  find  or  make  a  way  to  come  to 
Christ.  4.  We  can  have  faith  for  others  as  well  as  for  ourselves. 
5.  Hasty  and  superficial  judgments  of  the  conduct  of  others  is 
wicked.  6.  The  Church  while  contending  for  every  particle  of  as- 
certained truth,  must  adapt  itself  in  the  presentation  of  the  truth 
to  new  conditions  and  not  indiscriminately  decry  "modernism." 

167.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  24 :  25 ;  Andrews,  252 ; 
Edersheim  I,  499;  Trench  on  the  Miracles.  As  to  Eastern  houses, 
see  Land  and  Book  II,  p.  6-8.  Consult  D.  of  B.  by  Davis  on  Levi ; 
How  helpless  man  is  to  save  himself  may  be  illustrated  by  Aeschy- 
lus "Prometheus  Bound,"  and  Virgil's  "Laocoon"  with  his  sons  in 
the  coils  of  the  great  serpent. 

168.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  What  was  the  content  of 
the  faith  of  these  men?  2.  Has  fasting  in  itself  any  value  as  a 
religious  exercise?  3.  What  was  Christ's  attitude  toward  fast- 
ing? 4.  How  about  seasons  of  self-denial?  5.  Should  religious 
people  live  mournfully  or  joyfully?  Why?  6.  What  is  the  right 
relation  of  conservatism  to  progress. 


112  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  22. 

The  Sabbath  Question  at  Jerusalem  and  Capernaum. 

Jiio.  5;  Matt.   12:1-14;  Mk.  2:23;  3:6;  Luke  6:1-11. 
Harmony  44-46. 

169.  The  HeaHng  of  the  Infirm  Man.  (i)  Jesus  at- 
tended the  second  passover  of  his  ministry  at  Jerusalem  on 
]\Iarch  30- April  5,  A.  D.  28.  (2)  By  the  sheep  gate  there  is 
a  pool  which  is  called  Bethesda,  having  five  porches.  In  it 
lay  a  multitude  of  sick,  blind,  halt,  withered.  One  of  them 
had  been  thirty-eight  years  in  his  infirmity.  (3) When 
Jesus  saw  him,  he  saith,  Wouldst  thou  be  made  whole?  The 
man  answered,  I  have  no  men,  when  the  water  is  troubled  to 
put  me  into  the  pool.  While  I  am  coming,  another  step- 
peth  down  before  me.  Jesus  saith,  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed 
and  walk.     And  he  did  so. 

170.  The  Charge  of  Sabbath  Breaking,  (i)  It  being 
the  Sabbath,  the  Jews  said  to  him  that  was  cured.  It  is  not 
lawful  for  thee  to  take  up  thy  bed.  He  answered,  He 
that  made  me  whole,  said.  Take  up  thy  bed  and  walk.  (2) 
They  asked  him,  who  said  this?  But  he  knew  it  not,  for 
Jesus  had  conveyed  himself  away;  a  multitude  being  in  the 
place.  (3)  Afterward,  Jesus  findeth  him  in  the  temple, 
and  said,  Thou  art  made  whole.  Sin  no  more  lest  a  worse 
thing  should  befall  thee.  (4)  The  man  now  told  the  Jews 
that  it  was  Jesus  who  had  made  him  whole.  (5)  For  this 
cause  the  Jews  persecuted  Jesus.  (6)  But  Jesus,  justifying 
himself  said,  my  Father  worketh  until  now  and  1  work. 
Now  the  Jews  sought  the  more  to  kill  him  because  he  not 
only  brake  the  sabl^ath,  but  also  made  himself  equal  with 
God. 

171.  The  Claims  of  Jesus.  In  his  defense.  Jesus  claims 
(i)  a  unique  souship.  He  said.  The  son  can  do  nothing 
of  himself,  but  what  he  seeth  the  Father  doing.  (2)  Judge- 
ship. The  Father  doth  not  judge  any  man  but  hath  given 


Life  of  Christ.  113 

all  judgment  unto  the  Son :  that  all  may  honor  the  Son  even 
as  they  honor  the  Father.  (3)  Power  to  Dispense  Eternal 
Life.  He  that  heareth  my  word  and  believeth  him  that  sent 
me,  hath  eternal  life.  For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself, 
even  so  gave  he  to  the  Son  also  to  have  life  in  himself. 

172.  Four  Witnesses  for  Christ's  Claims.  To  estab- 
lish these  claims  Jesus  names  four  witnesses:  (i)  John. 
If  I  bear  witness  of  myself,  my  witness  is  not  true,  but  ye 
have  sent  unto  John  and  he  hath  borne  witness  unto  the 
truth  (Jno.  i  :  19).  (2)  His  zvorks.  Yet  the  witness  which 
I  have  is  greater  than  that  of  John,  for  the  zvorks  which 
the  Father  hath  given  me  to  accomplish,  the  very  works  that 
I  do,  bear  witness  of  me  that  the  Father  hath  sent  me.  (3) 
The  Father:  The  Father  that  sent  me,  he  also  hath  borne 
witness  of  me.  Ye  have  neither  heard  his  voice  at  any  time 
nor  seen  his  form.  (4)  The  Scriptures.  Ye  search  the  scrip- 
tures, because  ye  think  that  in  them  ye  have  eternal  life ; 
and  these  are  they  which  bear  witness  of  me.  If  ye  be- 
lieved Moses  ye  would  believe  me. 

173.  Plucking  Grain  on  the  Sabbath,  (i)  After  the 
passover  Jesus  returned  to  Capernaum.  (2)  On  a  Sab- 
bath as  he  was  going  through  the  grain-fields  his  disciples 
plucked  the  ears  and  ate.  (3)  The  Pharisees  said.  Why 
do  ye  that  which  is  not  lawful  to  do  on  the  sabbath  day? 
(4)  Jesus  said.  Have  ye  not  read  what  David  did  when  he 
was  hungry,  how  he  entered  into  the  house  of  God,  and  ate 
the  showbread,  which  is  not  lawful  to  eat  save  for  the  priests 
alone.  (5)  The  Son  of  man  is  Lord  of  the  sabbath.  (6) 
The  Sabbath  was  made  for  men  and  not  men  for  the  Sab- 
bath. 

174.  The  Man  with  the  Withered  Hand,  (i)  On  an- 
other sabbath  he  entered  into  the  synagogue  at  Capernaum 
and  there  was  a  man  who  had  a  withered  hand.  (2)  The 
scribes  and  Pharisees  watched  him,  whether  he  would  heal 
him  on  the  Sabbath  day,  that  they  might  accuse  him.  So 
they  asked  him.  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  sabbath  day?  (3) 
He  said,  What  man  of  you  having  one  sheep,  if  this  fall 


114  L,ifc  of  Christ. 

into  a  pit  on  the  sabbath  day,  will  not  lift  it  out?  How 
much  more  valuable  is  a  man  than  a  sheep?  (4)  Then  he 
saith  to  the  man,  stand  forth,  and  addressing  his  audience 
he  saith,  Is  it  lawful  on  the  sabbath  day  to  do  good,  or  to 
do  harm?  To  save  a  life  or  to  kill?  But  they  held  their 
peace.  (5)  When  he  had  looked  on  them  with  anger,  be- 
ing grieved  at  the  hardness  of  their  hearts,  he  said  unto  the 
man.  Stretch  forth  thy  hand.  When  he  stretched  it  forth 
his  hand  was  restored.  (6)  But  the  Pharisees  with  the 
Herodians  took  counsel  how  they  might  destroy  him. 

175.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources. 
Locate  places  on  map;  on  the  "unnamed  feast"  see  "Chronology;" 
memorize  Jno.  5 :  39.  2.  The  latter  part  of  Jno.  5 :  3  and  the  whole 
of  V.  4  are  omitted  from  the  R.  V.  because  they  are  not  a  part  of 
the  original  Gospel.  See  footnotes  in  the  R.  V.  Test.  3.  This  pool 
was  fed  by  an  intermittent  spring,  from  which  the  water  bubbled 
up  from  time  to  time;  but  the  people  thought  that  this  bubbling 
was  caused  by  an  angel  from  heaven  (A.  V.  vs.  4)  and  that  who- 
ever stepped  into  the  water  first  thereafter  would  be  healed.  4. 
The  traditional  site  of  this  pool  is  the  so-called  "Birket  Israel,"  just 
north  of  the  temple  area.  It  is  over  50  feet  deep,  131  feet  wide  and 
365  feet  long.  Its  depth  seems  to  exclude  it  from  consideration 
as  the  place  spoken  of  by  John.  For  this  reason  Robinson  sug- 
gested the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin,  outside  the  city  wall  on  the 
east  side.  5.  The  sheep-gate  was  in  the  north  of  Jerusalem  and  de- 
rived its  name  from  the  fact  that  through  it  the  sacrificial  animals 
were  brought  into  the  city.  6.  The  "Jews"  in  John's  Gospel  usually 
mean  the  scribes  and  Pharisees — the  enemies  of  Jesus.  7.  The 
language  in  verse  14  perhaps  suggests  that  the  man's  infirmity  had 
been  caused  by  his  sin.  What  Jesus  wishes  in  any  case  to  save  him 
from,  is  a  worse  than  physical  ill.  8.  From  verses  16-18  it  seems 
probable  that  official  action  was  taken  by  the  Sanhedrin,  and  a 
resolution  passed  to  kill  Jesus  if  found  in  Judea.  For  this  reason 
Jesus  now  left  Judea  and  only  returned  to  it  after  an  interval  of 
18  months,  and  then  only  for  brief  periods  at  the  feasts.  At  the 
very  first  opportunity,  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  Oct.,  A.  D.  29 
(Jno.  7:32),  the  Jews  attempted  to  carry  out  their  plan.  9.  The 
warrant  for  rejecting  Jesus  they  believed  to  have  found  in  the  in- 
structions given  in  Deut.  13 :  1-5,  by  which  the  claims  of  one  pre- 
tending to  a  divine  mission  were  to  be  tested.  His  works  and  his 
words   must  be   in   conformity  with   the   law.     Of   the   Messiah   it 


Life  of  Christ.  115 

was  demanded:    (a)    that  personally  he  should  keep  the  law,    (b) 
that  he  would  set  up  the  Messianic  kingdom. 

176,  I.  The  prominent  thought  in  the  Lord's  defense,  Jno.  5 : 
ig-47  is  his  Messianic  claim.  He  claims:  (a)  divine  sonship  (17- 
20),  (b)  power  of  judgment  (21  and  22),  (c)  authority  to  dispense 
divine  life  (24  and  40).  In  support  of  this  Messianic  claim  he 
appealed  (a)  to  the  witness  of  John  (2:33),  (b)  to  his  own  works 
{2)7) >  (c)  to  the  Father  at  his  baptism  and  transfiguration,  (d)  the 
Scriptures.  2.  This  plucking  of  grain  took  place  near  Capernaum 
in  May  or  June,  after  Christ's  return  from  "the  unnamed  feast." 
3.  Law  and  custom  allowed  the  plucking  of  grapes  and  corn  enough 
to  satisfy  hunger.  4.  According  to  the  scrupulous  Pharisees,  the 
disciples  had  broken  the  Sabbath  in  that  they  had  reaped,  threshed 
and  winnowed,  by  pulling,  rubbing  and  chewing  the  grain  before 
eating  it.  The  Mishna  says :  "He  that  reapeth  corn  on  the  sabbath 
to  the  quantity  of  a  fig  is  guilty;  and  plucking  corn  is  reaping."  5, 
Shew  bread  was  the  sacred  bread  set  before  Jehovah  in  two  rows 
of  six  loaves,  on  a  table  in  the  Holy  Place  of  the  Tabernacle.  At 
the  end  of  a  week  these  loaves  were  eaten  by  the  priests  after  the 
new  ones  had  been  put  in  their  place.  6.  By  this  illustration  Jesus 
showed  that  as  it  was  right  for  David  to  eat  the  shew  bread  be- 
cause he  could  get  no  other  food,  so  it  was  right  for  the  dis- 
ciples, who  were  also  hungry,  to  pick  a  little  grain  to  eat  on  the 
Sabbath,  the  principle  being  that  works  of  necessity  are  lawful  on 
the  sabbath.  7.  That  Jesus  and  his  company  resorted  to  such 
means  of  sustenance  shows  that  they  must  have  been  living  a  very 
frugal  life.  8.  Verse  27  illustrates  the  principle  governing  the 
observance  of  the  Sabbath.  It  must  aid,  not  burden  man,  physically 
and  spiritually.  9.  On  the  "Herodians"  see  ^31  (3).  10.  The 
Herodians  and  the  Pharisees  were  natural  opponents.  But  hearing 
of  Christ's  Messianic  claims,  they  united  in  opposing  him.  For 
should  Jesus  continue  to  gain  popularity  there  was  danger  that 
what  had  seemed  to  them  the  religious  and  pohtical  foundation  of 
society  would  be  shaken. 

177.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Without  a  willingness  to  co-operate 
with  God  man  cannot  attain  to  the  highest  blessings  (Jno.  5:66). 
2.  Notice  (a)  Christ's  compassionate  eye,  (b)  his  words  arousing 
interest  and  hope,  (c)  his  deed  of  power.  3.  By  choosing  the 
friendless  one,  Jesus  rebukes  the  spirit  of  selfishness.  4.  With 
Christ  not  only  the  first  comers  will  be  healed.  5.  The  best  of 
one's  deeds  may  be  misunderstood.  6.  Christ's  teaching  on  the 
Sabbath :  (a)  it  was  made  to  help  men  live  good,  happy  lives,  and 
therefore  should  be  used  for  that  purpose,  and  not  in  such  a  way 
as  to  make  men  miserable,     (c)  Works  of  necessity  and  of  mercy 


Il6  Life  of  Christ. 

are  lawful  on  the  Sabbath  (Mt.  12:11,  12).  (c)  God  does  not 
command  us  to  keep  the  Sabbath  because  it  pleases  him,  but  be- 
cause it  is  best  for  ourselves.  7.  In  none  of  his  defenses  does 
Jesus  call  in  question  the  obligation  of  the  Sabbath  law,  but  he 
emphasizes  its  original  design,  contrasting  it  with  the  Pharisaic  per- 
version. 8.  Far  from  abolishing  the  principle  of  the  sabbath, 
Christ  declared  it  was  made  for  man,  a  universal,  not  Jewish  ordi- 
nance, for  his  physical  repose  and  spiritual  culture.  9.  Every  com- 
mand on  God's  part  implies  a  promise  of  strength  on  man's  part 
to  obey  (Mk.  3:5).  10.  Religious  fanaticism  and  political  partisan- 
ship still  conspire  against  Christ  and  religious  liberty,  even  in  free 
America. 

178.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  26  and  27.  On  the 
time,  see  Andrews,  50,  189,  255 ;  on  the  miracle,  see  Trench  and 
Dod.  On  Bethsaida  see  Davis,  Hastings  and  Piercy's  D.  B.,  and 
Tristan's  Land  of  Israel.  On  the  Sabbath,  see  Piercy,  D.  B.,  p. 
757;  Davis,  p.  627. 

179.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  In  what  sense  is  sickness  a 
result  of  sin?  2.  Is  special  suffering  always  a  sign  of  special  sin- 
fulness? 3.  Is  it  the  case  sometimes?  (Jno.  5:  14).  4.  What  prin- 
ciples and  motives  should  guide  us  in  the  observance  of  the  Sab* 
bath? 

SECOND   SUB-DIVISION. 

Second  Period  of  the  Galilean   Ministry. 

From  the  Choosing  of  the  Twelve  to  the  Crisis  at  Capernaum. 
From  Early  Summer,  A.  D.  28  to  the  Passover,  April  18,  A.  D. 
29 — or  about  ten  months. 

CHAPTER  23, 

The  Organization  of  the  Kingdom. 

Matt.  4:23-25;  12:  15-21;  10:2-4;  Chapt.  5,  6,  7;  Mk.  3: 
7-19;    Luke    6:12-49.     Harmony    47-49. 

180.  The  Widespread  Fame  of  Christ,  (i)  About 
summer  A.  D.  28  the  popularity  of  Christ  stood  at  its  height. 
Large  crowds  flocked  to  him.  All  provinces  and  three  cities 
are  mentioned  by  name :  Galilee,  Judea,  Decapolis,  Perea, 


Life  of  Christ.  117 

Idumea,  Jerusalem,  Tyre  and  Sidon.  (2)  He  preached  the 
gospel,  healed  all  kinds  of  diseases  and  cast  out  demons, 
who  cried  out.  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God.  (3)  The  sick 
sought  to  touch  him  for  power  came  from  him  and  healed 
them.  (4)  But  all  of  them  he  charged  that  they  should 
not  make  him  known. 

181.  The  Choosing  of  the  Twelve,  (i)  One  of  these 
days  he  and  his  disciples  withdrew  from  Capernaum  to  the 
seaside  and  the  multitude  followed  them.  He  asked  his 
disciples  to  have  a  little  boat  wait  on  him,  to  cross  the  sea 
because  the  people  thronged  him.  (3)  North  of  Caper- 
naum he  left  the  boat  and  went  into  a  mountain  where  he 
continued  all  night  in  pra3^er  to  God.  (4)  When  it  was 
day,  he  called  his  disciples  and  chose  from  them  twelve 
whom  he  named  apostles,  that  they  might  be  with  him  and 
that  he  might  send  them  forth  to  preach  and  cast  out 
demons. 

182.  The  Names  of  the  Twelve  Apostles. 

First  Group: 

1.  Symeon  (Greek  contraction  Simon),  the  son  of  Jonas 
(Jno.  1:42;  21:16),  called  also  Cephas  (Heb.)  or  Peter 
(Greek),  both  meaning  a  stone  or  rock,  native  of  Beth- 
saida. 

2.  Andrew,  his  brother  (Matt.  4:  18),  a  native  of  Beth- 
saida,  and  a  former  disciple  of  the  Baptist. 

3.  James,  the  son  of  Zebedee  (Matt.  4:21),  and  Salome 
(Mk.  15  :  40),  also  of  Bethsaida,  and 

4.  John,  his  brother,  afterwards  known  as  "the  friend  of 
Jesus,"  the  "disciple  whom  Jesus  loved"  (Jno.  13:23), 
called  "boanerges"  from  his  ardent  temperament. 

Second  Group: 

5.  Philip,  a  native  of  Bethsaida,  and  one  of  the  earliest 
disciples  (Jno.  1:43). 

6.  Bartholomew  (Bar-Tolmai),  "the  son  of  Tolmai,"  a 
patronymic,  his  proper  name  was  Nathanael. 


Ii8  Life  of  Christ. 

7.  Matthew  or  Levi,  a  collector  of  customs  at  Capernaum. 
Third  Group: 

8.  Thomas  or  Didymus  (a  twin),  (Jno.  11  :  16;  20:  24). 

9.  James,  the  son  of  Alphaeus,  or  "James  the  Less." 

10.  Judas,  a  brother  or,  possibly,  a  son  of  James  (Acts 
1 :  13),  and  surnamed  Thadd?sus  and  Lebbreus  (Matt.  10:  3 ; 
Mk.  3:18),  (from  Hebrew  "leb,"  heart=the  courageous). 

11.  Simon  the  Cananite  (Mk.  3:  18)  or  Cananaean  (per- 
haps derived  from  Cana)  (Matt.  10:24),  in  Greek  Zelotes 
(Lk.  6:  15;  Acts  I  :  13),  one,  probably,  who  before  his  call 
had  belonged  to  the  sect  of  the  zealots. 

12.  Judas  (called  the  son  of  Simon  Iscariot=the  man  of 
Kerioth  (Jno.  6:71;  13:26),  or  Judas  Iscariot,  Simon's 
son  (Jno.  13:2),  probably  a  native  of  Kerioth  (Josh.  15: 
25),  a  little  village  in  the  tribe  of  Judah. 

183.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  After  having  ap- 
pointed the  earthly  founders  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  at  a 
private  meeting  on  one  of  the  peaks  (Mk.  3:  13),  he  de- 
scended to  a  level  place  on  the  mountain  (Lu.  6:  17),  where 
the  people  stood  who  had  followed  him  from  Capernaum. 
In  their  presence  he  laid  down  the  principles  and  laws  of 
the  kingdom  in  the  famous  "Sermon  on  the  Mount." 

Theme.     The  Kingdom  of  God:  Its  Members,  Laws  and 
Principles  of  Conduct. 

1.  The  Subjects  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  (Matt.  5  :  3-16). 

a.  Their  character  and  privileges  (vss.  3-12). 

b.  Their  mission  in  the  world  (vss.  13-16). 

2.  The  Relation  of  Christ's  Lazv  to  the  Old  Testament  Law 

(Matt.  5:17-48). 

a.  Christ's  law,  a  completion  of  the  old  law  (vss.  17-20). 

b.  Christ's  law  inward  and  spiritual ;  illustrated  by  the 

laws  regarding  murder,  adultery,  marriage,  oaths, 
non-resistance,  and  neighborliness  (vss.  21-48). 


Life  of  Christ.  119 

3.  The  Righteousness  of  the  Kingdom  (Matt.  6:1;  7:  12). 

a.  The  general  principle —  to  be  seen  of  God,  not  of  men 
— stated  (6:  i),  and  illustrated  by  almsgiving,  pray- 
er, and  fasting  (6:2-18). 

h.  Right  conduct  toward  God  (6:  19-34). 

( 1 )  Serving  both  God  and  mammon  impossible  ( vss. 

19-24). 

(2)  Trusting  God  for  all  needed  things  a  duty  (vss. 

25-34)- 
c.  Right  conduct  toward  men  (7:  1-12). 

(i)   Harsh  judgments  rebuked  (vss.  1-5). 

(2)  Discrimination  however  to  be  used  (vs.  6). 

(3)  Wisdom  to  judge  aright,  as  well  as  all  other 

good,  obtained  by  prayer  (vss.  7-1 1). 

(4)  The  Golden  Rule,  or  summary  of  right  conduct 

toward  men  (vs.  12). 

4.  Admonitions  to  the  Members,  of  the  Kingdom  (Matt.  7: 

13-27)- 

a.  To  walk  in  the  narrow  way  and  not  in  the  broad  (vss. 

13-  14)- 

b.  Not  to  be  deceived  by  false  teachers  (vss.  15-20). 

c.  To  build  on  the  rock  of  obedience  to  Christ  (vss.  21- 

27). 

5.  Impressions  (7:28,  29),  (From  Bible  S.  U.  Sessions). 

184.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources, 
especially  those  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  locate  the  places; 
memorize  Matthew  5 :  2-10.  2.  For  a  proper  understanding  of  this 
greatest  of  sermons  it  is  necessary  to  read  and  study  it  with  the 
above  analysis  constantly  in  mind.  3.  Christ  organized  his  forces, 
(a)  because  his  enemies  began  organizing  theirs,  (b)  because 
thorough  work  in  establishing  his  kingdom  demanded  it,  (c)  be- 
cause his  followers  needed  training  for  their  future  work.  4. 
Tradition  makes  the  Horns  of  Hattin,  a  double  peaked  hill,  four 
miles  back  from  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and  about  eight  miles  S.  W.  of 
Capernaum  the  site  where  the  twelve  men  were  chosen,  and  the 
sermon  preached,  but  the  gospels  give  us  no  means  of  deciding  on 


120  Life  of  Christ. 

tlie  exact  place.  5.  The  night  before  the  appointment  was  spent 
by  Jesus  in  prayer  which  fact  emphasizes  the  significance  that  Jesus 
attached  to  this  event.  6.  The  number  of  apostles  corresponded  to 
the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  and  pointed  to  Jesus'  Messianic  kingship 
over  all  Israel. 

185.  I.  The  N.  T.  has  four  lists  of  the  apostles  (Matt.  10;  Mk. 
3;  Luke  6,  and  Acts  1:13).  Each  list  falls  into  three  groups  of 
four  each.  The  name  in  each  group  are  the  same;  the  groups  fol- 
low in  the  same  order,  and  in  all  the  lists  the  same  names  begin  each 
group — Peter,  Philip,  James  the  Less.  Only  the  order  within  the 
groups  varies.  The  four  fishermen  constitute  the  first  group  in 
each  list,  Peter  always  leading.  2.  Probably  all  were  Galileans. 
Even  Judas  Iscariot  (meaning  "Man  of  Kerioth"  in  Judea),  may 
have  been  a  Galilean,  as  in  Jno.  6:71;  13:26,  the  word  "Iscariot" 
is  attached  to  the  father  of  Judas.  3.  Home  tozvns:  Three  apos- 
tles (Peter,  Andrew  and  Philip)  were  natives  of  Bethsaida  (Jno. 
1:44).  Six  (James  the  Elder,  John,  Matthew,  James  the  Less, 
Jude,  and  probably  Thomas)  were  of  Capernaum.  Nathanael  was 
of  Cana  (Jno.  21:2).  4.  Former  connections.  The  surnames  of 
Simon  ("the  Zealot,"  and  "The  Canannean")  mark  him  out  as 
having  once  belonged  to  the  furious  followers  of  Judas  of  Giscala, 
the  leader  of  an  insurrection  against  the  Roman  government  (Acts 
5:37).  And  as  the  "Zealots"  were  most  numerous  in  Galilee, 
Simon  was  no  doubt  a  Galilean.  The  Greek  names  of  Philip  and 
Andrew,  and  the  fact  that  the  Greeks  in  Jno.  12  applied  to  Philip, 
and  were  referred  by  him  to  Andrew,  may  point  to  some  connection 
on  their  part  with  the  Greek  colonists  in  Decapolis  and  the  Hellen- 
ists (Greek-speaking  Jews).  Five  or  six  of  the  twelve  were  form- 
erly disciples  of  the  Baptist  (Jno.  i).  5.  Relationship  to  Jesus. 
(a)  If  in  John  19:25  the  following  punctuation  is  adopted,  "There 
stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus  (i)  his  mother;  (2)  his  mother's  sister; 
(3)  Mary,  the  wife  of  Cleophas,  and  (4)  Mary  Magdalene,  then 
the  second  woman  was  Salome  mentioned  in  the  parallel  passage 
Matt.  27 :  58.  In  this  case  James  and  John  the  elder  were  cousins 
of  Jesus,  (b)  The  old  punctuation  distinguishes  only  three  women, 
"The  three  Marys,"  making  "his  mother's  sister"  to  be  Mary  the 
wife  of  Clopas  (or  Alpheus),  and  the  mother  of  James  the  Less 
and  Jude.  In  this  case  these  two  disciples  were  cousins  of  Jesus. 
But  two  sisters  bearing  the  same  name  is  improbable,  (c)  Again 
if  Alpheus,  the  father  of  Matthew  (Mk.  2:14)  is  identified  with 
the  father  of  James  the  Less  and  Jude,  the  three  men  were  brothers 
and  if  the  second  punctuation  be  adopted,  these  three  apostles  were 
cousins  of  Jesus.  6.  The  identity  of  Matthew  and  Levi  seems  to 
follow    (a)    from    the   perfect    agreement   in    the   narrative   of   the 


Life  of  Christ.  121 

calling  of  Matthew  (Matt.  9:  10)  and  of  Levi  (Mk.  2:15;  Luke  5: 
29),  (b)  the  absence  from  the  lists  of  the  Apostles  of  any  trace  of 
Levi  while  Matthew  occurs  in  all.  (c)  It  is  not  improbable  that  he 
changed  his  name  Levi  after  his  call,  into  Matthew=Theodore  (gift 
of  God),  in  grateful  remembrance  of  God's  mercy.  7.  The  identity 
of  Nathaniel  and  Bartholomew  appears  highly  probable:  (a)  John 
twice  mentions  Nathaniel  (1:45;  21:2),  but  never  Bartholomew; 
(b)  the  Synoptists  speak  of  Bartholomew  (Matt.  10:3;  Mk.  3:18; 
Luke  6:  14),  but  never  of  Nathaniel;  (c)  Philip  first  brought  Nath- 
aniel to  Jesus  and  Bartholomew  is  mentioned  by  each  of  the  Synop- 
tists immediately  after  Philip;  (d)  Luke  couples  Philip  with  Bar- 
tholomew, precisely  in  the  same  way  as  Simon  with  his  brother  An- 
drew, and  James   with  his  brother  John. 

186.  I.  The  education  and  social  position  of  the  twelve  is  some- 
times underestimated.  Four  only  were  fishermen  and  of  these 
James  and  John  belonged  to  a  family  of  means  and  social  standing. 
Their  father  had  hired  servants  (Mark  1:20);  their  mother  was 
one  of  the  women  who  had  means  to  support  Jesus  (Mark  15:41)  ; 
John  seems  to  have  had  a  home  in  Jerusalem,  ( Jno.  19 :  27)  ;  he  was 
also  acquainted  with  the  high  priests  (Jno.  18:15);  Matthew 
must  have  been  a  man  of  some  education  and  business  ability.  It 
may  safely  be  assumed  that  all  of  the  Twelve  had  a  thorough  Bibli- 
cal education.  2.  They  were  selected  with  a  view  to  complement 
each  other  with  reference  to  natural  gifts,  education  and  temper- 
ament, thus  making  the  circle  a  perfect  working  body.  Hence 
Christ  received  not  many  of  the  same  cast  of  mind.  The  forma- 
tive types  were  Peter,  John  and  James,  and  even  these  three  differed 
one  from  the  other,  forming  a  spiritual  harmony  however.  3.  In- 
dividual  characteristics.  Peter  is  bold,  impetuous,  and  sensitive ; 
John  is  zealous,  affectionate,  and  sympathetic;  Thomas  is  cold,  cauti- 
ous, and  skeptical;  James  is  practical,  energetic,  and  vehement; 
Philip  is  thoughtful,  inquiring  and  decisive;  and  Simon,  called 
Zelotes,  most  likely  was  fervent,  radical  and  just  a  little  fanatical. 
They  were  good  men  and  true,  but  no  one  of  them  could  have 
been  mistaken  for  the  other.  A  few  of  them  were  men  of  decided 
ability,  and  rose  pre-eminently  above  their  brethren  in  intellectual 
power  and  executive  skill.  But  we  really  know  very  little  of  the 
majority  of  those  who  were  apostles.  They  lived  and  toiled  un- 
noticed, and  died  unsung,  not  even  their  great  office  being  able  to 
redeem  them  from  obscurity. —  (Lorimer,  Jesus  the  World's  Savior, 
p.  128).  4.  The  immediate  purpose  of  the  appointment  was  that 
they  should  assist  Jesus  in  the  rapidly  accumulating  work  of  spread- 
ing the  gospel.  The  ultimate  purpose  was  that  these  men  after 
having  received  a  special  training  might  be  able  to  plant  the  church 
after  Christ's  ascension  (Mark  3:14;  Acts  1:18). 


122  Life  of  Christ. 

187.  I.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  not  a  collection  of  sayings 
of  Christ  uttered  on  various  occasions,  but  a  connected  discourse, 
as  affirmed  by  Matt,  and  Luke.  These  important  and  elementary 
teachings  were  of  course  repeated  at  other  places,  and  this  ex- 
plains why  we  find  many  of  them  in  other  connections.  2.  Luke, 
who  speaks  of  a  "level  place"  does  not  contradict  Matt,  who  calls 
the  place  "a  mountain."  The  spot  was  probably  a  level  place  on 
the  mountain  side  or  a  plateau.  3.  "Blessed"  in  these  verses  means 
"happy,"  full  of  the  greatest  possible  happiness,  or  bliss.  4.  "Poor 
in  spirit"  means  being  conscious  of  spiritual  deficiency.  5.  "Meek- 
ness" means  self-control,  ability  to  bear  an  aflfront  with  patience; 
not  lack  of  courage  and  energy.  6.  As  salt  keeps  food  sweet  and 
good,  so  should  Christians  make  the  world  better.  Sometimes  salt 
is  adulterated  with  clay  or  sand,  and  when  the  genuine  salt  dis- 
solves the  refuse  loses  its  savor,  or  saltiness,  and  becomes  useless. 
In  the  same  way  when  Christians  lose  the  true  spirit  of  Christ  their 
influence  for  good  is  gone.  7.  "To  fulfil  the  law"  means  to  reveal 
its  deep  and  holy  meaning  and  to  obey  its  spirit.  By  "law"  Jesus 
has  in  view  the  great  principles  of  right  living  on  which  the  law  is 
based.  These  are  the  same  always  and  must  be  obeyed.  8.  A  "jot" 
(Matt.  5:18)  is  the  smallest  Hebrew  letter,  a  "tittle"  is  a  slight 
projection  on  certain  Herbrew  letters.  To  say  "one  jot  or  one 
tittle"  would  be  like  saying  to-day  "the  crossing  of  a  /  or  the 
dotting  of  an  i."  9.  Raca,  a  Chaldee  word  meaning  "empty  head," 
was  at  that  time  a  very  common  word  of  slander.  The  teaching  is 
that  contemptuous  language  is  at  the  root  of  murder  and  is  worthy 
of  punishment.  10.  The  Lord's  Prayer  contains  (a)  the  Invocation, 
(b)  six  or  seven  petitions,  of  which  the  first  three  have  a  Godward 
and  the  last  four  a  manword  reference:  six  of  them  asking  for 
spiritual  and  only  one  for  material  goods,  (c)  The  Doxology 
which  is  a  later  insertion,  due  to  liturgical  usage.  11.  The  "eye" 
(Matt.  6:22)  stands  for  the  heart  or  the  soul.  "Single"  means 
with  one  high,  true  purpose.  The  verse  means  that,  as  a  healthy 
eye  enables  one  to  see  to  do  one's  daily  tasks,  so  a  true  heart, 
full  of  desire  to  serve  God,  enables  one  to  live  aright.  12.  "Mam- 
mon" (Matt.  6:24)  here  means  worldly  riches,  which  many  wor- 
ship instead  of  God.  Christ  does  not  say  that  a  man  cannot  be 
rich  and  serve  God  too,  but  that  he  cannot  serve  God  and  riches 
with  all  his  heart  at  the  same  time.  13.  A  mote  (Matt.  7:31)  is  a 
very  small  particle  of  matter,  a  speck  of  dust.  Here  it  means  a 
trifling  fault.  A  "beam"  or  stick  of  timber  means  a  great  fault. 
People  who  do  not  try  to  correct  their  own  faults  should  not 
criticise  others  for  small  mistakes.  14.  Hillel  is  said  to  have 
uttered  a  maxim  similar  to  the  Golden  Rule  (Matt.  7:  12).     Christ, 


Life  of  Christ.  123 

however,  supplies  the  power  to  keep  it.  15.  "Rock"  (Matt.  7:24) 
means  obedience  to  Christ's  teaching;  sand,  empty  professions;  rain, 
flood,  winds  refer  to  all  that  which  tests  moral  character. 

188.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  In  studying  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  and  the  rest  of  Christ's  ethical  teaching  it  must  be  con- 
stantly remembered  that  they  contain  the  law  for  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  not  for  the  Jewish  Sanhedrin,  or  the  Roman  Senate,  or 
a  non-Christian  modern  state.  They  are  workable  in  a  nation  only 
in  proportion  as  the  population  has  already  become  Christian. 
Under  present  conditions  many  of  Christ's  grandest  precepts  can- 
not be  generally  practised,  even  by  his  most  devoted  children.  If, 
for  example,  the  precept,  "Lay  not  up  treasures"  (Matt.  6:19) 
should  be  literally  obeyed,  Christians  would  be  excluded  from  the 
business  aflfairs  of  the  world.  But  under  a  more  Christ-like  condi- 
tion of  aflfairs,  at  a  distant  future,  the  reasonableness  even  of 
this  and  other  precepts  will  be  gloriously  demonstrated.  Under 
present  conditions  this  grand  precept  must  fade  into  the  meaning 
that  Christians  should  not  lose  themselves  in  amassing  wealth.  If 
these  guiding  principles  are  overlooked  this  grandest  of  sermons 
is  in  danger  of  being  considered  as  a  collection  of  most  beautiful, 
but  quite  unattainable  "counsels  of  perfection"  (See  Adeney,  N.  T. 
Theology,  Ch.  VII,  on  the  New  Ethics).  2.  Guard  well  the  Chris- 
tian qualities  of  your  character,  and  let  not  what  is  distinctively 
Christ-like  evaporate  from  your  life  through  contact  with  the  world- 
ly atmosphere  about  you.  Let  not  society  drag  you  down  to  its  own 
savorless  level  of  easy  and  conventional  virtue.  3.  A  good"  man  is  not 
simply  a  witness  for  virtue  but  an  instrument  for  repressing  vice.  4. 
"The  true  servant  unceasingly  rebukes  the  wicked  but  he  does  it 
most  of  all  by  his  conduct,  by  the  truth  which  shines  forth  in  his 
words,  by  the  light  of  his  example,  by  all  the  radiance  of  his  life." 
(St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  died  Oct.  3,  1226).  5.  The  characteristics  of 
Christians  are  not  to  be  creeds,  professions  and  shibboleths,  but 
graces.  6.  Christ's  religion  has  antiseptic  properties  keeping  so- 
ciety from  moral  decay.  7.  The  Lord's  Prayer  is  a  beautiful  ex- 
pression of  the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the  Brotherhood  of  Man. 
We  are  to  pray  in  the  plural.  8.  Matt.  7 :  i  does  not  forbid  judical 
action,  but  censoriousness  and  private  judgments  which  are  based 
on  insufficient  evidence,  uncharitable  thoughts,  the  imputing  of 
bad  motives,  harsh  language.  9.  Apply  the  Golden  Rule  (a)  in 
thought,  and  evil  suspicions  will  vanish,  (b)  in  word  (abuse,  de- 
traction), (c)  in  deed  (business  dealings,  labor  questions).  10. 
What  men  are  constantly  doing  in  their  relation  to  spiritual  af- 
fairs, no  man  in  his  senses  would  do  in  relation  to  his  material  af- 
fairs. II.  It  is  too  late  to  choose  another  foundation  when  the 
flood   comes. 


124  Life  of  Christ. 

189.  Reference  Literature.  l<*arrar,  Ch.  18;  Andrews,  p.  265; 
Stalker,  ^105-108;  Bruce,  Training  of  the  Twelve;  Godet,  Char- 
acter of  Peter,  John,  James  and  Paul  (in  his  N.  T.  Studies)  ;  Lori- 
mer,  Jesus  the  World's  Savior  (p.  128  on  the  Characteristics  of  the 
Twelve);  on  the  Sermon  of  the  Mount;  Tholuck,  Die  Bergrede 
(also  in  English);  Achelis,  Bergpredigt;  Votaw,  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  in  Hast.  D.  B.  V,  1-45;  Piercy,  D.  B.,  p.  808;  on  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  see  books  by  Maurice,  Boardman,  H.  J.  Vandyke,  Westin, 
Shorter  and  Heidelberg  Catechisms;  J.  R.  Miller,  Practical  Reli- 
gion; on  the  Kingdom  of  God,  see  Piercy,  p.  447,  and  Hast.  D.  of 
C.  n,  607;  on  Mammon,  Hast.  D.  C.  H,  106;  on  "Raca,"  Hast.  D. 
C.  n,  467;  Milton's  Paradise  Lost,  I,  678  on  Mammon;  Whittier's 
poem,   "Eternal   Goodness." 

190.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  In  what  sense  is  Christ  and 
in  what  sense  are  Christians  the  light  of  the  world?  2.  Is  Chris- 
tianity the  final  religion  or  only  the  highest  stage  of  present  reli- 
gious development  looking  to  a  still  higher  expression  of  the  life 
of  God?  3.  Are  there  greater  truths  contained  in  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount  than  those  which  the  church  has  as  yet  emphasized?  4. 
Do  the  principles  of  the  Bible  and  especially  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  cover  all  phases  of  our  present  complex  political  and  social 
life?  S.  Is  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  livable  under  present  con- 
ditions? 6.  Are  conditions  conceivable  under  which  it  could  be 
the  basis  of  life?  7.  Does  Matt.  5:39  contain  a  principle  of  per- 
sonal conduct  or  a  law  of  government?   (See  Jno.  18:22,  23). 

CHAPTER  24. 

Christ's  Second  Preaching  Tour. 

Matt.   8:5-13;   11:2-19;  Lu.   7:1-8,  3.     Harmony   50-54. 

191.  The  Centurion's  Servant,  (i)  After  the  sermon 
on  the  Mount,  Christ  returned  to  Capernaum.  (2) When 
he  entered,  the  elders,  sent  by  a  centurion,  asked  him  to  heal 
the  latter's  servant  of  the  palsy,  adding,  He  is  worthy  of  it, 
for  he  loveth  our  people  and  built  our  synagogue.  (3) 
Later  the  centurion  himself  came  and  asked  him.  Jesus 
said:  I  will  come  and  heal  him.  (4)  The  centurion  an- 
swered. Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that  thou  shouldest  come 
under  my  roof ;  only   say  the  word,  and  my  servant  shall  be 


Life  of  Christ.  125 

healed.  (5)  For  thou  hast  at  least  as  much  power  as  I, 
who  though  I  am  a  man  under  authority,  have  under  my- 
self soldiers,  and  when  I  say  to  one,  Go,  he  goeth,  and  to 
another,  Come,  he  cometh ;  and  to  my  servant.  Do  this,  he 
doeth  it.  (6)  Jesus  marvelled  and  said  to  them  that  fol- 
lowed, I  have  not  found  so  great  faith  in  Israel. (7)  Many 
shall  come  from  the  east  and  the  west,  and  shall  sit  down 
with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven :  but  the  sons  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  forth  into 
the  outer  darkness :  there  shall  be  the  weeping  and  the 
gnashing  of  teeth.  (8)  Jesus  said  unto  the  centurion,  as 
thou  hast  believed  so  be  it  done  unto  thee.  And  the  servant 
was  healed  in  that  hour. 

192.  The  Raising  of  the  Widow's  Son  at  Nain.  (i) 
On  the  next  day  (Summer,  A.  D.  28),  Jesus  left  Capernaum 
for  his  second  preaching  tour,  followed  by  his  disciples  and 
a  great  multitude.  (2)  When  he  drew  near  the  gates  of 
Nain  there  was  carried  out  for  burial  the  only  son  of  a 
widow.  (3)  The  Lord  had  compassion  and  said,  Weep  not. 
He  touched  the  bier  and  said.  Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee, 
Arise.  And  he  sat  up,  and  began  to  speak.  (4)  They  all 
feared  and  glorified  God,  saying,  A  great  prophet  is  arisen 
among  us.  (5)  This  report  went  forth  in  the  whole  of 
Judea,  and  all  the  region  round  about. 

193.  The  Baptist's  Last  Message,  (i)  John's  dis- 
ciples kept  their  imprisoned  master  informed  of  Christ's  do- 
ings. (2)  One  day  (Summer,  A.  D.  28),  John  sent  two 
of  them  to  the  Lord.  They  met  him  somewhere  on  his  sec- 
ond preaching  tour  and  said,  the  Baptist  hath  sent  us  saying. 
Art  thou  he  that  cometh,  or  look  we  for  another?  (3)  In 
that  hour  he  cured  many  of  diseases  and  he  answered.  Go 
and  tell  John  the  things  which  ye  have  seen  and  heard ;  the 
blind  receive  their  sight,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are 
cleansed  and  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up,  the  poor 
have  good  tidings  preached  to  them.  And  blessed  is  he, 
whosoever  shall  find  no  occasion  of  stumbling  in  me. 

194.  The    Baptist    Extolled,      (i)   In    order    that    the 


126  Life  of  Christ. 

people  might  not  lose  their  great  respect  for  John,  Jesus 
said  to  them,  when  the  messengers  were  departed.  What 
went  ye  out  into  the  wilderness  to  behold?  a  reed  shaken 
with  the  wind?  or  a  man  clothed  in  soft  raiment?  (They 
that  are  gorgeously  apparelled,  and  live  delicately,  are  in 
kings'  courts)  ;  or  a  prophet?  (2)  He  is  much  more  than 
a  prophet.  This  is  he  of  whom  it  is  written.  Behold,  I  send 
my  messenger  before  thy  face,  who  shall  prepare  thy  way 
before  thee.  (3)  Among  them  that  are  born  of  women 
there  is  none  greater  than  John:  yet  he  that  is  but  little 
in  the  kingdom  of  God  is  greater  than  he.  (4)  From  the 
days  of  the  Baptist  until  now  the  kingdom  of  heaven  suf- 
fereth  violence,  and  men  of  violence  take  it  by  force.  All 
the  prophets  and  the  law  prophesied  until  John.  He  is 
Elijah,  that  is  to  come.  (5)  All  the  people  and  the  pub- 
licans justified  God,  being  baptized.  But  the  Pharisees  and 
the  lawyers  rejected  the  counsel  of  God,  being  not  baptized 
of  him.  (6)  Whereunto  shall  I  liken  this  generation.  They 
are  like  children  that  sit  in  the  marketplace,  and  call  one  to 
another ;  We  piped  unto  you,  and  ye  did  not  dance ;  we 
wailed,  and  ye  did  not  weep.  John  came  eating  no  bread 
nor  drinking  wine ;  and  ye  say.  He  hath  a  demon.  The  Son 
of  man  is  come  eating  and  drinking ;  and  ye  say,  Behold,  a 
gluttonous  man,  and  a  winebibber,  a  friend  of  publicans  and 
sinners!      (7)    But  wisdom  is  justified  of  all  her  children. 

195.  Anointed  in  the  House  of  Simon  the  Pharisee. 
(i)  At  an  unnamed  place  on  his  second  preaching  tour,  a 
Pharisee  desired  Jesus  to  eat  with  him.  (2)  When  he  en- 
tered the  house  a  woman  of  that  city,  a  sinner,  heard  of  it 
and  brought  an  alabaster  cruse  of  ointment,  and  weeping, 
she  began  to  wet  his  feet  with  her  tears,  and  wiped  them 
with  the  hair  of  her  head,  and  kissed  his  feet,  and  anointed 
them.  (3)  WHicn  the  Pharisee  saw  it,  he  spake  within  him- 
self. If  this  man  were  a  prophet,  he  would  have  perceived 
what  manner  of  woman  this  is.  (4)  Jesus  said,  Simon,  I 
have  somewhat  to  say  unto  thee.  A  lender  had  two  debtors : 
the  one  owed   five  hundred  shillings,  and  the  other  fifty. 


Life  of  Christ.  127 

When  they  had  not  whereivith  to  pay  he  forgave  them  both. 
Which  of  them  will  love  him  most?  Simon  answered:  He 
to  whom  he  forgave  the  most.  Jesus  said,  Thou  hast  right- 
ly judged.  (5)  Turning  to  the  woman,  he  said  unto  Simon, 
I  entered  into  thy  house,  thou  gavest  me  no  water  for  my 
feet :  but  she  hath  wetted  my  feet  with  her  tears,  and  wiped 

them  with  her  hair.  Thou  gavest  me  no  kiss :  but  she  hath 
not  ceased  to  kiss  my  feet.  My  head  with  oil  thou  didst  not 
anoint:  but  she  hath  anointed  my  feet  with  ointment.  (6) 
Wherefore  her  sins,  which  are  many,  are  forgiven ;  for  she 
loved  much :  but  to  whom  little  is  forgiven,  the  same  loveth 
little.      (7)   And  he  said  unto  her,  Thy  sins  are  forgiven. 

(8)  They  that  sat  at  meat  began  to  say  within  themselves. 
Who  is  this  that  even  forgiveth  sins.  (9)  Jesus  said  to  the 
woman :  Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee ;  go  in  peace. 

196.  Women  Disciples  on  the  Second  Preaching  Tour. 
Besides  the  Twelve,  there  accompanied  him  certain  women 
who  had  been  healed  of  evil  spirits  and  infirmities :  Alary 
that  was  called  Magdalene,  from  whom  seven  demons  had 
gone  out,  Joanna  the  wife  of  Chuzas,  Herod's  steward,  Sus- 
anna, and  many  others,  who  ministered  unto  them  of  their 
substance. 

197.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources. 
Note  the  variations  between  Matt,  and  Luke  in  the  narrative  of  the 
Centurion ;  locate  the  places  and  trace  the  Lord's  movements  on  the 
map;  memorize  Matt.  8:11.  2.  It  is  probable  that  this  healing 
occurred  on  the  same  day  on  which  the  sermon  on  the  mount  was 
preached.  3.  This  centurion  was  an  officer  in  charge  of  a  com- 
pany of  from  50  to  100  men  and  belonged  either  to  a  Roman  garri- 
son at  Capernaum,  or  was  in  the  service  of  Herod  Antipas.  The 
latter  is  more  probable.  He  was  evidently  a  man  of  wealth  and 
a  friend  of  the  Jews.  4.  That  the  elders  were  willing  to  make  the 
request  shows  that  at  this  time,  no  general  hostility  had  yet  de- 
veloped itself  against  the  Lord  in  Capernaum.  5.  Twice  the  gos- 
pel states  that  Jesus  "marvelled."  Here  because  a  Gentile's  faith 
surpassed  that  of  the  Jews ;  and  in  Mark  6 : 6  on  account  of  the 
unbelief  of  the  people  at  Nazareth.  6.  In  Matt.  8:  11-12  the  Lord 
expresses  the  universality  of  the  gospel  and  its  benefits — one  of 
the  germs  of  Paulinism.     7.  The  journey  to  Nain  and  with  it  the 


128  Life  of  Christ. 

beginning  of  Christ's  second  circuit  was  commenced,  "soon  after- 
wards" (Luke  7:  11),  or  according  to  the  marginal  reading:  "On  the 
next  day,"  after  the  healing  of  the  centurion's  servant.  8.  From 
Capernaum  to  Nain  is  a  distance  of  about  25  miles.  9.  Nain  is  now 
an  insignificant  village.  Its  name  means  "fair,"  pointing  to  its 
pleasant  location  in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  10.  The  Jews  did  not 
bury  their  dead  in  closed  wooden  coffins  but  carried  them  on  a 
bier  to  a  tomb  where  they  were  laid  in  little  niches.  11.  This  is 
the  first  of  the  three  recorded  cases  of  Christ's  raising  the  dead. 
The  others  are :  the  daughter  of  Jairus  in  Capernaum,  and  Lazarus 
of  Bethany,  the  suburb  of  Jerusalem.  These  three  persons  were 
actually  dead,  both  in  the  estimate  of  their  friends  and  of  Jesus. 
12.  Observe  that  no  one  recognized  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  In  their 
opinion  he  was  simply  another  great  prophet.  13.  This  was  the 
region  in  which  Elijah  and  Elisha  had  worked  their  wonderful 
miracles  nearly  nine  hundred  years  before,  and  the  people  thought 
that  God  had  now  given  them  another  similar  prophet. 

198.  I.  John's  disciples  met  Jesus  at  some  unnamed  place  on  his 
second  preaching  journey.  Some  authorities  place  the  meeting  at 
Capernaum.  2.  As  this  occurred  about  summer  A.  D.  28,  the  time 
elapsed  since  John's  imprisonment  (in  Dec,  A.  D.  27)  was  possi- 
bly seven  months.  3.  The  fact  that  John  could  communicate  with 
his  disciples  shows  that  he  was  given  some  liberty  in  prison  (Matt. 
25:36;  Acts  24:23;  Socrates).  4.  The  Baptist  had  for  the  mo- 
ment found  a  stumbling  block  to  his  faith  in  what  he  heard  about 
the  method  of  Christ  and  his  lack  of  success.  We  find  similar 
moments  of  despondency  in  the  lives  of  Moses,  Elijah,  Huss, 
Luther.  5.  The  Lord's  testimony  to  John  was  a  plain  though  in- 
direct assertion  of  his  Messianic  character.  6.  Matt.  11:6  is  a 
gentle  way  of  rebuking  John  for  his  doubts  concerning  Jesus. 
"Occasion  of  stumbling"  means  anything  which  causes  one  to  do 
wrong.  Here  it  means  John's  temptation  to  disbelieve  in  Jesus  as 
the  Messiah.  7.  This  message  would  doubtless  recall  to  John  the 
prophecies  in  Isa.  29:  18,  19;  61 :  1-3,  and  so  would  assure  him  that 
Jesus  was  really  doing  what  the  prophets  had  foretold  concerning 
the  Messiah.  8.  Wishing  to  prevent  his  hearers  from  cherishing 
any  depreciatory  thoughts  of  his  great  forerunner,  the  Lord  pro- 
nounced a  beautiful  eulogy  on  the  Baptist.  He  describes  John, 
(a)  as  a  man  of  unflinching  integrity  who  would  break  rather  than 
Ijend,  he  is  not  a  flattering  courtier,  (b)  as  a  prophet,  but  (c)  as 
one  whose  insight  into  the  nature  of  the  kingdom  of  God  is 
inferior  to  the  least  of  Christ's  disciples,  because  these  have  higher 
privileges.  9.  The  figure  in  verses  11  and  12  is  that  of  soldiers 
carrying  a   ci'y   by  storm.     It   was   intended   to   illustrate  the   dif- 


Life  of  Christ.  129 

ficulty  which  lay  in  the  way  of  the  Jews  accepting  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah.  10.  The  comparison,  Matt.  11:16-19,  is  drawn  from  the 
games  of  children.  One  group  is  trying  to  induce  the  other  to 
play  either  "funeral"  or  "wedding."  The  point  of  the  comparison 
is  the  peevishness  of  one  group  who  are  satisfied  with  neither.  So 
the  Jews  would  not  be  satisfied  with  an  ascetic  like  John,  nor  with 
the  genial  and  social  Son  of  man.  11.  Luke  7:  19  means  to  say  that 
God  will  ultimately  be  vindicated  by  men  possessing  the  true  wis- 
dom  from   above. 

199.  I.  The  invitation  from  Simon  is  evidence  that  the  break  be- 
tween Jesus  and  the  Pharisees  was  not  yet  complete.  2.  The 
houses  in  Palestine  were  less  closed  than  ours  and  privacy  is  far 
less  observed  in  warm  climates.  3.  The  Lord  was  twice  anointed 
— here  at  Capernaum  and  at  Bethany,  six  days  before  his  death 
(Matt.  26:6).  (a)  Similarities:  In  both  cases,  the  host's  name 
was  Simon ;  it  was  a  woman  who  anointed  Jesus :  both  women 
brought  an  alabaster  box ;  offense  was  taken  by  persons  present, 
(b)  The  differences  are:  This  Simon  was  a  Pharisee,  the  one  in 
Bethany  is  called  "the  leper;"  here  Jesus  was  among  people  who  had 
no  real  sympathy  with  him,  in  Bethany  he  is  among  intimate  friends ; 
here  the  woman  is  a  notorious  sinner,  in  Bethany  she  is  a  spiritually 
minded  friend ;  here  the  anointing  is  an  expression  of  thankful 
love  for  received  pardon,  in  Bethany  it  is  an  anticipation  of  Christ's 
burial.  4.  Tradition  identifies  this  woman  with  Mary  Magdalene, 
i.  e.  Mary  from  Magdala,  a  town  in  the  southern  end  of  the  plain 
of  Genessaret,  Luke  8:2;  the  "seven  demons"  are  interpreted  to 
mean  the  passionate  nature  of  the  great  sinner.  Her  name  has  be- 
come a  synonym  for  accepted  penitence  and  pardoned  sin.  Most 
of  the  institutions  to  raise  fallen  women  bear  her  name  (Magda- 
lene Asylums).  But  there  is  no  real  ground  for  such  identifica- 
tion. The  fact  that  M.  Magdalene's  name  appears  in  the  narrative 
closely  following  this  should  not  be  considered  a  sufficient  reason. 
5.  The  "ointment"  was  a  very  expensive  perfume  in  a  costly  ala- 
baster vase.  In  Jno.  12:5a  similar  vase  of  perfume  is  said  to 
have  been  worth  300  shillings  (A.  V.  "pence"),  about  $50,  or  a 
year's  wages  at  that  time.  6.  An  "alabaster  cruse,"  or  alabastron, 
was  a  long-necked  flask  originally  made  of  white  or  veined  ala- 
baster, but  later  of  other  materials  also.  7.  Among  the  Jews  a 
kiss  of  greeting,  water  for  washing,  and  oil  for  anointing  were 
marks  of  respect  for  a  guest.  The  Pharisee  would  have  given 
them  to  Jesus  if  he  had  wished  to  treat  him  politely,  much  more  if 
he  had  loved  him.  8.  The  woman  had  received  pardon  and  the 
perfume  was  the  expression  of  her  gratitude.  Hence  the  woman's 
love  is  declared  to  be  the  proof  and  consequence  of  her  forgiveness, 


130  Life  of  Christ. 

not  the  reason.  The  interpretation  that  her  good  work  secured 
her  pardon  is  against  the  context  and  the  general  teaching  of  the 
New  Testament.  9.  This  circuit  is  distinguished  from  the  former 
one  by  the  attendance  of  women  disciples.  Nothing  more  is  his- 
torically known  of  these  persons  than  is  here  related.  Their  names 
appear  again  later.  Herod's  steward  was  the  official  in  charge  of 
Herod's  estate  or  possibly  the  person  attending  to  the  domestic 
affairs  of  the  royal  palace  in  Tiberias.  His  wife  therefore  must 
have  been  a  woman  of  some  means.  10.  Luke  8 :  3  offers  an  ex- 
planation of  how  Jesus  and  his  companions  could  live  without 
manual  labor.  In  return  for  spiritual  riches  the  woman  provided 
for  his  temporal  wants,  as  it  was  not  his  will  to  use  his  miraculous 
power  to  supply  them. 

200.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Let  the  young  men  arise  from  the 
death  of  sin.  2.  Despondency  has  visited  many  great  men.  3. 
Luther's  wife  in  mourning,  because  "God  has  died,"  cheers  the  re- 
former. 4.  Cause  and  cure  of  John's  spiritual  despondency. 
Cause :  Close  confinement,  impatience,  false  reports,  wrong  pre- 
conceptions;  Cure:  Going  directly  to  Jesus  (prayer),  Bible  study, 
meditation,  counsel  from  good  men.  5.  The  proof  of  Christianity 
is  its  beneficient  effect  on  the  w^orld.  6.  On  one  pretext  or  another 
men  find  fault  with  God's  ministers  and  their  message.  7.  One  of 
the  commonest  sins  is  misjudging  the  acts  and  words  of  others. 
8.  Love  is  the  fruit  and  proof  of  faith.  9.  So  far  as  Simon  con- 
demned vice  he  was  right,  but  what  had  he  done  for  the  woman's 
reclamation?  10.  The  surest  way  to  drive  a  penitent  sinner  back 
into  sin  is  to  treat  him  as  an  impertinent  reprobate  (Luke  7:39). 

201.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  20;  Andrews,  275. 
Jewish  forms  in  entertaining,  in  Geikie,  Life  and  Words  of  Christ 
n,  123;  on  the  six  Marys,  see  Davis,  B.  D.,  p.  458,  and  on  spikenard, 
p.  705;  On  Christ  the  Saviour  of  the  Poor,  see  Walker's  "Philos- 
ophy of  the  Plan  of  Salvation ;"  Eggleston,  Christ  in  Literature,  p. 
128-130.  Lange,  Life  of  Christ  HL  p.  116;  McCook,  Women  Friends 
of  Jesus;  J.  R. 'Miller.  Personal  Friendship  of  Jesus. 

202.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Was  it  doubt  or  faith  or 
both  that  led  John  to  send  the  messengers?  2.  In  what  particulars 
are  modern  Christians  superior  to  John?  3.  Had  the  woman  been 
pardoned  before  she  met  Jesus  at  Simon's  house?  4.  Why  is  she 
persistently  identified  with  Mary  Magdalene?  5.  Is  it  necessary  to 
be  a  great  sinner  in  order  to  love  Jesus  very  much  ?  6.  Is  it  not 
best  to  grow  naturally  into  the  love  of  God,  as  Jesus  did? 


Life  of  Christ.  131 

CHAPTER  25. 

Christ  Teaching  at  Capernaum  and  by  the  Sea. 

Alatt.  12  :  22  ;  13  :  53  ;  Mk.  3:19;  4 :  33  ;  Lu.  1 1 :  14-33  ;  § : 
19-21;  4:  18.     Harmony,  55-57. 

203.  Anxiety  of  Christ's  Friends.  Arriving  at  Caper- 
naum from  his  second  preaching  tour  (Autumn,  A.  D.  28), 
the  people  were  so  anxious  to  hear  him  and  Jesus  so  en- 
thusiastic to  preach  that  he  could  not  so  much  as  eat  bread. 
When  his  friends (  not  his  family),  heard  it,  they  went  out 
to  lay  "hold  on  him:  for  they  said,  He  is  beside  himself. 

204.  Warning  Against  Blasphemy,  (i)  The  great 
popularity  of  Jesus  attracted  the  attention  of  the  leaders  in 
Jerusalem  and  they  sent  scribes  to  Capernaum  to  watch 
him.  (2)  One  day  a  man,  possessed  with  a  demon,  blind 
and  dumb,  was  brought  to  him  and  he  healed  him.  (3) 
The  multitudes  were  am.azed,  and  said,  Can  this  be  the  son 
of  David?  But  the  Pharisees  said.  This  man  casts  out 
demons,  by  Beelzebub  the  prince  of  demons.  (4)  Jesus 
said,  Every  kingdom,  city  or  house  divided  against  itself 
shall  not  stand:  If  Satan  casteth  out  Satan,  he  is  divided 
against  himself  ;  how  then  shall  his  kingdom  stand?  (5)  If 
I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out  demons,  by  whom  do  your  sons  cast 
them  out?  therefore  shall  they  be  your  judges.  But  if  I  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  cast  out  demons  it  is  a  sign  that  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  come  upon  you.  (6)  Or  how  can  one  enter 
into  the  house  of  the  strong  man,  except  he  first  bind  the 
strong  man?  (7)  He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me ;  and 
he  that  gathereth  not  with  me  scattereth.  (8)  Every  sin  and 
blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven ;  but  the  blasphemy  against  the 
Spirit  shall  not  be  forgiven,  for  it  is  an  eternal  sin.  Who- 
soever shall  speak  against  the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  for- 
given him ;  but  who  shall  speak  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  it 
shall  not  be  forgiven  him,  neither  in  this  world,  nor  in  that 
Vvhich  is  to  come. 


13^  Life  of  Christ. 

205.  Demanding  a  Sign,  (i)  Then  certain  of  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees  answered,  Teacher  we  would  see  a 
sign  from  thee. (2)  He  answered,  An  evil  and  adulterous 
generation  seeketh  after  a  sign ;  and  there  shall  no  sign  be 
given  to  it  but  the  sign  of  Jonah,  for  as  he  was  three  days 
and  three  nights  in  the  belly  of  the  whale;  so  shall  the  Son 
of  man  be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the 
earth.  (3)  The  men  of  Nineveh  shall  stand  up  in  the  judg- 
ment with  this  generation,  and  shall  condemn  it :  for  they 
repented  at  the  preaching  of  Jonah;  and  behold,  a  greater 
than  Jonah  is  here.  (4)  The  queen  of  the  south  shall  rise 
up  in  the  judgment  with  this  generation,  and  shall  condemn 
it :  for  she  came  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  to  hear  the  wis- 
dom of  Solomon ;  and  behold,  a  greater  than  Solomon  is 
here. 

206.  V/arning  Against  Relapse.  The  unclean  spirit, 
when  he  is  gone  out  of  the  man,  passeth  through  waterless 
places,  seeking  rest,  and  findeth  it  not.  Then  he  saith,  I 
will  return  into  my  house ;  and  when  he  is  come,  he  findeth 
it  empty,  swept,  and  garnished.  Then  he  taketh  with  him- 
self seven  other  spirits  more  evil  than  himself,  and  they 
dwell  there :  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  becometh  worse 
than  the  first.  Even  so  shall  it  be  also  unto  this  evil  gen- 
eration. 

207.  A  Woman's  Praise.  As  he  said  these  things,  a 
woman,  moved  by  motherly  ambition,  said.  Blessed  is  the 
womb  that  bare  thee,  and  the  breasts  which  thou  didst  suck. 
But  he  said.  Yea  rather,  blessed  are  they  that  hear  the  word 
of  God,  and  keep  it. 

208.  The  True  Kindred  of  Christ.  ( i  )  While  he  was 
yet  speaking  his  mother  and  his  brethren  stood  without  seek- 
ing to  speak  to  him.  (2)  When  one  told  him,  he  answered. 
Who  is  my  mother?  and  who  are  my  brethren?  And  he 
stretched  forth  his  hand  toward  his  disciples,  and  said,  Be- 
hold, my  mother  and  my  brethren !  For  whosoever  shall 
do  the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  he  is  my  brother, 
and  sister,  and  mother. 


Life  of  Christ.  133 

209.  The  Eight  Parables  by  the  Sea.  (i)  On  the 
same  day,  after  the  exciting  discussion,  Jesus  left  the  house 
and  went  to  the  seaside,  probably  to  avoid  his  enemies  and 
the  throng,  and  began  to  teach.  (2)  When  the  multitude  in- 
creased, he  entered  into  a  boat  that  they  might  hear  him 
better  and  for  the  first  time  he  taught  by  means  of  parables. 
(3)  The  first  five  he  spake  in  the  presence  of  the  people 
at  the  seaside,  in  the  following  order:  i.  The  Sozver.  After 
this  the  disciples  seem  to  have  interrupted  him  by  the  fol- 
lowing question,  showing  their  surprise  at  his  new  method  of 
teaching:  "Why  speakest  thou  to  them  in  parables?"  (4) 
Jesus  gave  his  reasons  as  follows :  Unto  you  it  is  given  to 
know  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  to  them 
it  is  not  given.  For  whosoever  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given, 
and  he  shall  have  abundance :  but  vv^hosoever  hath  not,  from 
him  shall  be  taken  away  even  that  which  he  hath.  (5) 
Therefore  speak  I  to  them  in  parables ;  because  seeing  they 
see  not,  and  hearing  they  hear  not,  neither  do  they  under- 
stand. (6)  Many  prophets  and  righteous  men  desired  to  see 
the  things  which  ye  see,  and  saw  them  not ;  and  to  hear  the 
things  which  ye  hear,  and  heard  them  not.  (7)  Then  fol- 
lows the  interpretation  of  the  parable  of  the  sower,  and  the 
warning:  A  lamp  is  not  put  under  a  bushel.  Take  heed, 
therefore,  how  ye  hear.  Then  follow  in  succession  II.  The 
Tares ;  III.  The  Seed  Groiving  Secretly ;  IV.  The  Mustard 
Seed;  V.  The  Leaven.  At  this  point  Jesus  left  the  people 
and  returned  to  the  house.  Here  at  the  request  of  his  disci- 
ples he  interpreted  the  parables  of  the  Tares,  and  spoke  VI, 
the  parable  of  The  Treasure,  VII,  of  the  Merchantman 
and  VIII.  of  the  Draw-net.  In  conclusion  Jesus  added : 
Have  ye  understood  all  these  things?  They  say  to  him, 
■Yea.  He  said :  Every  scribe  who  hath  been  made  a  disciple 
to  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  man  that  is  a  house- 
holder, who  bringeth  forth  out  of  his  treasure  things  new 
and  old. 

210.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources. 
Analyze  accurately  the  contents  of  each  parable;  locate  places  on  the 


134  '^'/^  <^/  Christ. 

map;  memorize  Malt.  13:12.  2.  The  "friends"  in  Mk.  3:21  must 
not  be  identified  with  the  members  of  his  family  (Mk.  3:31). 
They  were  simply  what  the  term  indicates.  3.  What  is  here  re- 
corded occurred  in  the  city  of  Capernaum  after  his  return  from  his 
last  circuit.  4.  The  iremcvdons  enthusiasm  of  Jesus  may  have  led 
to  the  opinion  of  his  friends  that  he  was  insane.  5.  This  was  the 
first  time  that  the  Messianic  title  "Sen  of  David"  was  tentatively 
applied  to  Jesus.  6.  The  powerful  impression  recently  made  by 
Jesus  induced  a  number  of  scril^es  from  Jerusalem  to  come  to 
Galilee  for  the  purpose  of  counteracting  his  influence.  7.  Beehehuh. 
composed  of  Baal — the  supreme  god  of  the  Phoenecians — and  the 
word  "Ebub" — insect;  means  literally  "the  fly  god,"  i.  e.  the  de- 
fender against  insects.  In  the  New  Testament  the  word  is  invariably 
applied  to  Satan,  the  ruler  or  prince  of  the  demons  (Matt.  10:25; 
Mark  2>'^^)-  8.  In  his  reply  to  their  charge  the  Lord  emphasizes, 
first,  its  folly  and,  secondly,  its  wickedness  (Matt.  12:29,  31). 
Since  Satan  had  made  the  possessed  one  his  captive,  Jesus,  by  dis- 
possessing him  showed  himself  the  stronger.  9.  Exoreism  was  a 
common  profession  among  the  Jews  (Matt.  12:27;  Mk.  9:38;  Acts 
19:  13)  Jos.  Ant.  8,  2,  5  describes  the  juggleries  practiced  by  them. 
10.  They  charge  Jesus  with  being  possessed  not  with  an  ordinary 
demon  but  with  the  devil  himself.  11.  Blaspheniia  is  derived  from 
the  Greek  blapto — to  slander,  to  revile  the  name  or  reputation  of 
any  one.  12.  In  the  New  Testament  and  in  Christian  usage  blas- 
phemy denotes  a  condition  of  spiritual  deadness  which  often  mani- 
fests itself  by  expressions  of  hatred  against  God  and  divine  things. 
13.  This  sin  is  known  by  three  Jiames:  (a)  Blasphemy  against 
the  Holy  Spirit  (never  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  Matt.  12: 
31).  (b)  The  unpardonable  sin  (Heb.  6:4-10).  (c)  An  eternal 
sin  (Mk.  3:29).  14.  From  Matt.  26:24  it  appears  that  in  Judas 
we  have  a  man  who  has  committed  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy 
Spirit.  15.  Blasphemy  is  called  "an  eternal  sin"  and  unpardonable 
(Mk.  3:29)  because  it  is  incurable.  By  reason  of  spiritual  in- 
sensibility the  heart  is  rendered  incapable  of  repentance,  which  is 
the  condition  of  pardon,  and  this  again  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
character  has  become  fixed  in  its  choice  of  evil.  16.  Blasphemy 
must  be  clearly  distinguished  (a)  from  sins  against  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  consist  in  resisting  the  strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  uf 
which  all  believers  are  more  or  less  guilty:  (Eph.  4:30.  "Grieve 
not  the  Holy  Spirit."  1  Thess.  4:8);  (b)  from  the  sin  against  the 
Son  of  Man  which  consists  in  ascribing  the  works  of  Christ  to  the 
influence  of  demons.  This  sin  the  Lord  himself  declared  was  par- 
d()nal)le,  because  excusable,  since  the  fulness  of  Christ's  Godhead 
was  veiled  on  earth  and  the  experience  of  the  Lord's  power  very 


Life  of  Christ.  135 

limited.  I".  Matt.  12:  40  points  to  the  resurrection  as  the  great  sign 
that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah.  The  point  of  comparison  is :  As  Jonah 
was  given  up  by  the  sea  monster,  so  death  will  give  back  Jesus. 

211.  I.  The  grave  charge  of  the  Pharisees  that  Jesus  was  in 
league  with  evil  spirits  maj'  have  aroused  the  motherly  instincts  of 
Mary  and  led  her  to  dissuade  him  from  overexerting  himself.  2. 
Mary  here  showed  the  same  spirit  that  Christ  had  twice  before 
gently  rebuked  (Lu.  2:41;  Jno.  2:8).  In  his  father's  work  merely 
human  bonds  must  give  place  to  higher  obligations.  It  is  evident 
that  Mary  and  his  brothers  were  presuming  too  much  on  their  near 
blood  relationship.  3.  Jesus  insists  that  family  ties  are  inferior 
to  those  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Mark  3 :  34  and  35  give  us 
Jesus'  beautiful  definition  of  what  constitutes  true  relationship  to 
him.  Those  are  the  members  of  his  family  who  do  God's  will.  4. 
On  the  Lord's  method  of  teaching  see  the  chapter  on  "The  Work 
of  Christ."  S.  The  growing  emnity  against  him  and  the  utter 
spiritual  incapacity  to  see  the  true  nature  of  his  teaching  induced 
the  Lord  to  change  the  form  of  teaching  and  to  adopt  the  parabolic 
method.  This  would  hide  his  meaning  from  blasphemers  and 
skeptics  whose  anger  he  was  unwilling  to  excite  too  much  at  this 
time  and  would  at  the  same  time  explain  and  open  the  secrets  to 
the  seekers  after  truth.  The  parable  preserves  like  a  husk  that 
which  i't  temporarily  conceals  in  order  that  later  it  may  come  to 
light.  6.  Mark  4 :  25  states  a  principle  of  modern  pedagogy,  namely : 
what  one  learns  depends  upon  what  one  has  learned.  Progress  in 
knowledge  depends  upon  whether  a  solid  foundation  has  been  laid. 
7.  Notice  the  three  pairs  of  parables:  (a)  Tares  and  Drag  Net  (the 
first  emphasizes  the  present  intermixture,  the  second,  the  future 
separation)  ;  (b)  Merchantman  and  Treasure  (One  seeking,  the 
other  finding  without  seeking)  ;  (c)  Mustard  Seed  and  Leaven  (ex- 
ternal and  internal  growth). 

212.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Nowhere  is  Satan  cast  out  but  by 
the  stronger,  as  the  history  of  civilization  and  present  day  experi- 
ence prove.  2.  Modern,  so-called  Christian  nations  have  driven  the 
devil  into  savage  nations  by  giving  them  rum,  gunpowder,  slavery, 
smallpox  and  thereby  causing  extinction  or  deterioration  of  races. 

3.  There  is  no  golden  age  for  the  world  except  the  reign  of  Christ. 

4.  Apprehension  felt  that  blasphemy  has  been  committed  is  a  sure 
sign  that  there  has  been  no  commission  of  it,  for  he  who  really 
sins  in  this  way  feels  no  contrition.  5.  Jesus'  friends  try  uncon- 
sciously to  carry  out  the  plans  of  his  enemies  by  seeking  to  re- 
strain him  from  work.  6.  The  claims  of  God  and  his  kingdom 
take  precedence  over  family  ties ;  when  they  conflict  the  latter  must 
yield  to  the  former.     7.  "Long  is  the  road  by  precepts ;   short  and 


136  Life  of  Christ. 

effective  by  illustrations"  (Seneca).  8.  The  whole  universe  is  a 
parable  which  hides  God  from  the  unworthy,  while  it  reveals  him 
to  the  devout.  9.  The  four  classes  of  hearers  are,  (a)  the  heart- 
less, (b)  shallow-hearted,  (c)  half-hearted,  (d)  whole-hearted.  10. 
Spiritual  stupidity  is  the  characteristic  of  the  first-class  of  hearers; 
shallowness  and  impulsive  emotionalism  that  of  the  second ;  in- 
consistency and  mixed  motives  of  the  third,  the  fourth  avoids  the 
danger  of  the  other  three  classes.  11.  Tares  are  not  bad  men  in 
the  world  but  counterfeit  Christians  in  the  church.  As  the  field 
is  the  world  outside  of  the  church,  evil  men  being  of  the  world, 
have  therefore  no  business  in  the  church.  12.  The  origin  of  evil 
in  the  world  is  (a)  not  of  God  whose  very  essence  is  light,  (b) 
not  inherent  in  matter,  as  the  Gnostics  taught  (Gen.  1:31),  (c) 
not  developed  in  man,  (d)  but  imported  from  outside  by  the  devil. 
Man  is  the  victim  of  temptation,  and,  therefore,  the  object  of  God's 
mere}'  and  redeemable,  because  his  essence  is  not  devilish.  13.  As 
tares  resemble  wheat,  so  Satan  often  appears  as  an  angel  of  light. 
Evil  never  professes  to  be  evil,  but  endeavors  to  pass  as  virtue  by 
applying  well  sounding  names  to  sinful  practices,  e.  g.  business 
dishonesty  calls  itself  smartness  and  foresight.  14.  The  kingdom 
of  God  is  growing  steadily.  There  is  an  irresistible  trend  in 
modern  civilization  toward  higher  and  better  conditions ;  forces  for 
good  are  at  work  that  are  evidently  beyond  the  control  of  any 
man  or  combination  of  men  to  stop  or  impede  them.  15.  The  seed 
growing  secretly  teaches  that  true  faith  is  active  and  progress 
gradual.  16.  The  church  has  ever  been  the  place  of  refuge,  defense, 
rest  and  security  from  all  kind  of  oppression  (cf.  woman's  condi- 
tion among  the  heathen  nations,  treatment  of  children  and  aged,  im- 
provement of  social  conditions).  All  kinds  of  birds  find  shelter, 
alas,  even,  birds  of  prey,  heretics  and  oppressors.  17.  Leaven  is 
generally  used  as  a  symbol  of  corruption  (i  Cor.  5:7),  but  here  it 
is  a  symbol  of  the  transforming  influence  of  the  truth.  18.  Leaven 
is  useless  while  it  lies  alone;  Christians  can  improve  the  world, 
not  by  withdrawing  from  it,  but  by  mixing  with  it.  19.  The  para- 
hie  of  the  Leaven  teaches  the  generative  power  of  the  Gospel,  (i) 
in  the  life  of  the  individual,  (a)  as  to  his  mind,  giving  him  a  new 
view  of  life;  (b)  as  to  his  soul,  creating  in  him  a  new  love  to 
God  and  man;  (c)  as  to  his  will,  giving  him  a  new  aim;  (d)  as 
to  his  body,  teaching  him  that  it  is  to  be  a  temple  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  (2)  In  the  family,  teaching  the  husband,  wife  and  chil- 
dren their  respective  duties.  (3)  In  the  State,  (a)  by  securing 
to  the  ruler  the  necessary  authority,  Rom.  13;  (b)  by  impress- 
ing on  the  authorities  their  solemn  responsibility  to  the  su- 
preme Ruler;   (c)  by  teaching  all  citizens  that  righteousness  exalt- 


Life  of  Christ.  137 

eth  a  people.  20.  Personal  religion  is  a  treasure  that  can  be  had 
only  at  the  cost  of  personal  sacrifice.  21.  The  parable  of  the 
treasure  hid  in  a  field  illustrates  the  doctrine  of  prevenient  grace, 
by  which  is  meant  a  divine  influence  which  precedes  any  good  ef- 
fort on  the  part  of  the  sinner.  (Matt.  11:25;  Rom.  9:16;  John 
15:16;  "Das  Gliick,"  by  Schiller).  22.  The  parable  of  the  pearl 
teaches  (i)  that  Christ  must  be  personally  appropriated.  It  is  not 
sufficient  to  partake  of  many  blessings  under  the  shelter  of  the 
great  mustard  tree  (church)  or  enjoy  the  benefits  of  the  society 
leavened  by  the  gospel ;  each  man  must  make  Christ  his  own  by  a 
distinct  act  of  his  own  will.  (2)  The  seeking  of  good  pearls  (vir- 
tues) is  the  way  to  find  the  one  priceless  pearl  (Christ).  So  e.  g. 
St.  Augustine,  Justin  Martyr;  Luther,  Neander.  23.  "Lord  thou 
hast  made  us  for  thee  and  our  heart  is  restless  within  us  till  it  has 
found  rest  in  thee."  (Augustine's  Confessions).  24.  The  final 
judgment  will  be  a  day  of,  (a)  Revelation,  (b)  Separation,  (c) 
Decision.  25.  Kant's  argument  in  favor  of  a  final  judgment:  (i) 
(Major  premise)  :  Human  conscience  ("practical  reason")  demands 
that  everyone  should  receive  his  due.  (2)  (Minor  premise)  :  But 
it  is  a  fact  that  in  this  world  virtue  is  crucified  and  vice  crowned ; 
(3)  (Conclusion)  :  Therefore  there  must  come  a  final  incorruptible 
judgment  where  every  man  shall  receive  his  due. 

213.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  22  and  23;  Andrews, 
p.  274;  Davis  on  "devil,"  p.  169;  on  "Satan,"  p.  648;  on  parables, 
p.  541;  Hast.  D.  of  C.  on  blasphemy  1,  208;  on  unpardonable  sin 
IL  787;  Herzog,  Siinde  wider  den  heiligen  Geist;  Bruce,  Para- 
bolic Teaching  of  Christ;  on  the  scenery  around  the  Sea  of  Galilee, 
see  Stanley,  Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  425 ;  Trench,  the  Parables  of 
Christ;  Spurgeon's  Sermons  on  the  Parables;  Thompson's  Land 
and  Book  H,  p.  111-114;  Heid.  Cat.  Qu.  6  and  7  Westm.  Shorter 
Cat.  Qu.  I  Thiersch,  Die  Christliche  Familie ;  Schmidt,  Reconstruc- 
tion of  Ancient  Society  through  Christianity;  Farrar,  Seekers  after 
God;  St.  Augustine's  Confessions;  The  Imitation  of  Christ  by 
Thomas  a  Kempis. 

214.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Why  did  the  friends  of 
Jesus  believe  him  to  be  insane?  2.  Has  such  a  charge  been  brought 
against  other  great  persons?  3.  What  did  the  Pharisees  mean  by  a 
"sign"?  4.  What  is  the  sign  of  Jonah?  5.  What  is  the  danger  of 
merely  giving  up  bad  or  questionable  habits,  instead  of  aiming  at 
radical  conversion?  6.  Who  are  members  of  Christ's  family?  7. 
Was  Jesus  indifferent  to  family  relations?  8.  Trace  in  these  eight 
parables   the  history  of  God's  kingdom  on  earth. 


138  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  26. 

Miracles  On  and  Near  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

Matt.   8:23-9:34;   Mk.   4:35-5:43;   L-J-   8:22-56.      Har- 
mony 58-61. 

215.  The  Stilling  of  the  Tempest,  (i)  In  the  evening 
of  this  eventful  and  exciting  day  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples, 
Let  us  go  over  to  the  other  side.  They  take  him,  even  as  he 
was,  in  the  boat.  And  other  boats  were  with  him.  (2) 
There  arose  a  great  storm  and  the  waves  beat  into  the  boat, 
so  that  the  boat  was  now  filling.  But  he  was  asleep.  (3) 
They  awake  him,  and  say,  Teacher,  carest  thou  not  that  we 
perish?  Then  he  rebuked  the  wind,  and  said  unto  the  sea, 
Peace,  be  still.  And  the  wind  ceased,  and  there  was  a  great 
calm.  Jesus  said.  Why  are  ye  fearful?  have  ye  not  yet 
faith?  (4)  And  they  feared  exceedingly,  and  said,  Who 
then  is  this  that  even  the  wind  and  the  sea  obey  him? 

216..  The  Gadarene  Demoniacs,  (i)  When  they  land- 
ed on  the  Eastern  shore,  in  the  coimtry  of  the  Gadarenes 
(Gerasenes)  there  met  him  one  or  two  possessed  v/ith 
demons  coming  forth  out  of  the  tombs,  exceeding  fierce,  so 
that  no  men  could  pass  by  that  way.  (2)  They  cried,  What 
have  we  to  do  v.ith  thee,  thou  Son  of  God ;  art  thou  come 
hither  to  torment  us  ?  Jesus  said.  What  is  thy  name  ?  The 
demon  answered,  My  name  is  Legion  for  we  are  many.  (3 ) 
Now,  there  was  afar  off  a  herd  of  swine  feeding,  aud  the 
demons  besought  him.  If  thou  cast  us  out,  send  us  into  the 
herd  of  swine.  He  said.  Go.  And  behold  the  whole  herd 
rushed  down  the  steep  into  the  sea,  and  perished.  (4)  They 
that  fed  them  fled  into  the  city,  and  told  everything.  (5) 
And  all  the  city  came  cut  to  meet  Jesus:  and  besought  him 
that  he  would  depart  from  their  borders. 

217.  Jairus  and  the  Sick  Woman,  (i)  Probably  on 
the  following  morning  Jesus  crossed  over  to  Capernaum  and 
the  multitude  welcomed  him ;  for  they  were  all  waiting  for 


Life  of  Christ.  139 

him.  (2)  Jairus,  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  fell  down  at 
Jesus  feet,  and  besought  him  to  come  for  his  only  daughter, 
about  twelve  years  of  age,  was  dying.  (3)  As  he  went  the 
multitudes  thronged  him.  (4)  A  woman  having  an  issue  of 
blood  twelve  years,  who  had  spent  all  her  living  upon  physi- 
cians and  could  not  be  healed,  came  behind  him  and  touched 
the  border  of  his  garment:  and  immediately  the  issue  of  her 
blood  stanched.  (5)  Jesus  said,  Who  touched  me?  When 
all  denied,  Peter  said,  Master,  the  multitudes  press  thee. 
But  Jesus  said.  Some  one  did  touch  me ;  for  I  perceived  that 
power  had  gone  forth  from  me.  (6)  Wlien  the  woman 
saw  that  she  was  not  hid,  she  came  trembling,  and  falling 
down  before  him  declared  for  wh^t  cause  she  touched  him, 
and  how  she  was  healed  immediately.  (7)  Jesus  said. 
Daughter,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole ;  go  in  peace.  (8) 
While  he  yet  spake  came  one  from  the  ruler  of  the  syna- 
gogue saying,  Thy  daughter  is  dead ;  trouble  not  the 
Teacher.  (9)  But  Jesus  answered.  Fear  not:  only  believe, 
and  she  shall  be  made  whole.  (10)  When  he  came  to  the 
house,  he  suffered  none  to  enter  in  with  him,  save  Peter,  and 
John,  and  James,  and  the  parents  of  the  maiden.  (11)  As 
all  were  weeping,  and  bewailing  her,  he  said,  Weep  not ;  for 
she  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth.  And  they  laughed  him  to 
scorn.  (12)  But  he  took  her  by  the  hand  and  said,  Talitha 
Kumi,  (Maiden  arise).  And  she  rose  up  immediately:  and 
he  commanded  that  something  be  given  her  to  eat.  (13) 
And  her  parents  were  amazed :  but  he  charged  them  to  tell 
no  man. 

218.  Tvv;'0  Blind  Men  and  a  Dumb  Demoniac  Heahd. 
(i)  As  Jesus  went  home  two  blind  men  followed  him,  cry- 
ing out,  Have  mercy  on  us,  thou  son  of  David.  (2)  When 
he  was  come  into  the  house,  they  came  to  him,  and  Jesus 
saith.  Believe  ye  that  I  am  able  to  do  this?  They  say,  Yea, 
Lord.  Then  touched  he  their  eyes,  saying,  According  to 
your  faith  be  it  done  unto  you.  And  their  eyes  were  open- 
ed. (3)  Jesus  strictly  charged  them.  See  that  no  man  know 
it.     But  they  went  forth,  and  spread  abroad  his  fame  in  all 


140  Life  of  Christ. 

that  land.  (4)  There  was  also  brought  to  him  a  dumb  man 
possessed  with  a  demon.  And  when  the  demon  was  cast 
out  he  spake :  and  the  multitudes  marvelled,  saying,  It  was 
never  so  seen  in  Israel.  (5)  But  the  Pharisees  said.  By  the 
prince  of  the  demons  casteth  he  out  demons. 

219.  Explanatory  Notes.  1.  Name  and  compare  sources; 
especially  the  variations  ;  trace  Christ's  movements ;  locate  places ; 
memorize  Lu.  8:48;  On  Decapolis,  see  1|6  (5).  2.  On  the  demoniac 
see  the  chapter  on  "The  Work  of  Christ."  3.  Gergesa,  on  the  east 
shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (R.  V.  Geresa)  may  have  been  the  name 
of  the  district  while  Gadara  was  the  name  of  the  town  in  this  dis- 
trict. 4.  Matthew,  who  was  present,  meantions  two  demoniacs, 
Mark  and  Luke  but  one.  The  most  probable  explanation  is  that 
there  were  indeed  two,  but  one  of  the  two  being  more  promi- 
nent either  by  reason  of  his  fierceness  or  because  he  was  of  a  higher 
rank  in  society,  or  because  later  he  became  a  disciple,  is  alone  men- 
tioned by  Luke  and  Mark,  who  received  their  information  at  second 
hand.  5.  The  request  of  the  Gergasenes  that  Jesus  should  with- 
draw shows  how  material  interests  ruled  their  minds,  and  that 
their  friends  were  of  less  value  in  their  estimation  than  their  swine. 
6.  Notice  the  language  of  double  consciousness  in  Mark  5:9.  7. 
A  "legion"  was  a  body  of  Roman  soldiers  numbering  six  thousand. 
With  this  instrument  of  oppression,  a  word  of  terror  to  conquered 
nations,  is  compared  the  cruel  power  which  had  gained  the  mas- 
tery over  these  men.  8.  The  tombs  were  natural  ravines  in  the 
mountains  on  the  lake.  9.  The  keeping  of  swine  is  an  indication 
of  non-Jewish  nationality.  10.  Each  synagogue  had  one  or  more 
"rulers"  (Luke  13:14)  who  had  general  charge  of  the  synagogue 
worship.  They  were  neither  preachers  nor  pastors  in  our  sense 
of  the  word;  but  presided  at  the  service  and  selected  from  the 
congregation  the  person  to  read  the  Scriptures  and  to  address  the 
congregation,  Acts  13:  15  (See  II34).  11.  "An  issue  of  blood,"  i.  e. 
chronic  hcinorragc.  It  is  more  likely  that  Jesus  exerted  his  power 
consciously  and  intentionally,  although  the  woman  in  her  crude  con- 
ception of  the  nature  of  Jesus  believed  that  the  Lord's  power  was 
exercised  independently  of  his  will.  12.  The  selection  of  Peter. 
James  and  John  is  the  first  instance  recorded  of  special  preference 
of  these  three  above  the  other  nine  apostles  (other  instances  are: 
Transfiguration,  and  in  Gethsemane).  13.  Boisterous  weeping  and 
wailing  by  hired  mourners  were  the  symbols  of  Oriental  grief.  14. 
In  Matt.  9:27  is  found  the  first  record  that  Jesus  was  directly  ad- 
dressed   by   his   Messianic    title.     In    Matt.    12:23    the    people   ask 


Life  of  Christ.  141 

tentatively,  "Is  this  not  the  Son  of  David,"  or  as  the  American 
Revision  says  "Can  this  be  the  Son  of  David?"  15.  Son  of  David 
was  the  most  popular  of  the  many  designations  for  the  Messiah 
current  in  the  time  of  Jesus.  Its  use  rested  on  the  promise  given 
to  David  (2  Sam.  7:  13,  16;  Ps.  89:35-37)  that  his  throne  should 
abide  forever.  This  prediction  was  amplified  by  the  prophets  who 
identified  this  coming  King  of  David's  race  with  the  Messiah  (Isa. 
9:6,  7). 

220.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  The  Christian  is  not  in  peril  from 
being  in  the  world,  but  from  getting  the  world  into  himself.  (Mk. 
4^37^  Jno-  17:  15)-  -•  You  business  men,  make  Jesus  your  senior 
partner,  for  the  biggest  mistake  the  disciples  ever  made  was  in 
thinking  that  Jesus  couldn't  manage  a  boat.  3.  Seasons  of  calm- 
ness in  life:  (i)  the  evenings  at  home,  (2)  the  "quiet  hour"  dur- 
ing the  day,  (3)  Sabbath,  (4)  sickbed,  (5)  when  ambitions  subside, 
(6)  at  death's  door,  (7)  in  heaven.  4.  When  Satan  has  free  rein 
he  makes  man  an  untamable  beast,  lost  to  decency,  a  terror  to 
society,  a  destroyer  of  his  own  body  and  soul.  5.  The  demons  are 
neither  skeptics  nor  atheists  (Mk.  5:6-13).  6.  As  Christ  was  ex- 
cluded from  Gadara  he  wanted  the  men  to  stay  and  bear  witness. 
7.  A  sordid  commercial  spirit  still  bids  Christ  depart  where  his 
presence  interferes  with  material  gain.  8.  We  are  not  lost  in  the 
crowd ;  Christ  singled  out  the  woman,  as  he  observed  the  widow  at 
the  treasury  and  loved  Martha  and  Mary  and  Lazarus.  9.  Christ 
taught  a  new  idea  of  death.  The  ancient  Christians  therefore 
called  the  resting  place  of  the  dead,  "Koimeterion" — place  of  sleep, 
from  which  our  word  "cemetery"  is  derived. 

221.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  23;  Andrews  294.  Mrs. 
Hemans,  O  Thou :  that  in  its  wildest  hour,  etc. ;  On  the  violent  and 
sudden  tempests  on  the  Sea  of  G.  see  Thompson,  The  Land  and 
the  Book,  p.  374. — Trench,  Miracles,  p.  171,  note;  Davis,  on  "legion," 
p.  428. 

222.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  How  is  the  military  term, 
legion,  specially  appropriate  here?  2.  Why  did  Jesus  not  take  the 
man  with  him?  3.  What  were  Christ's  reasons  for  making  the 
sick  woman's  act  public?  4.  What  light  does  Lu.  8:  55  throw  upon 
Christ's  method  of  healing.  5.  What  characteristics  of  Jesus  ap- 
pear in  the  incident  of  the  raising  of  the  maiden? 


142  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  27. 

Christ's  Third  Preaching  Tour. 

Matt.  9:35-11:  1;  14:  1-12;  Ml:.  6:29;  Lti.  9:  1-9.     Har- 
mony 63-65. 

223.  Second  Rejection  at  Nazareth.  ( 1 )  It  was  about 
Jan.,  A.  D.  29  when  Jesus  and  his  disciples  left  Capernaum 
for  his  third  preaching  tour.  (2)  They  went  to  Nazareth, 
and  on  the  sabbath  he  taught  in  the  synagogue;  (3)  Many 
were  astonished  saying,  Whence  hath  this  man  these  things, 
and  what  mean  such  mighty  works  wrought  by  his  hands? 
(4)  Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the  son  of  the  carpenter  and  of 
Mary,  and  brother  of  James  and  Joses  (Joseph)  and  Judas, 
and  Simon?  and  are  not  his  sisters  here  with  us?  And  they 
were  offended  in  him.  (5)  Jesus  said,  A  prophet  is  not 
without  honor,  save  in  his  owm  country,  and  among  his  own 
kin,  and  in  his  own  house.  (6)  He  could  there  do  no 
mighty  work,  save  that  he  laid  his  hands  upon  a  few  sick 
folk,  and  healed  them.  (7)  And  he  marvelled  because  of 
their  unbelief. 

224.  The  Preaching  Tour  Continued.  Leaving  Xaz- 
areth  Jesus  went  about  all  the  cities  and  the  villages  of 
Galilee  teaching  in  their  synagogues  and  preaching  the  gos- 
pel of  the  kingdom,  and  healing  all  manner  of  disease. 

225.  The  Mission  of  the  Twelve,  As  Jesus  considered 
the  apostles  sufficiently  prepared  he  sent  them  out  for  the 
first  time  independently,  (i)  The  reason  for  sending  them 
was  the  great  need.  When  Jesus  saw  the  multitudes,  he 
was  moved  with  compassion  because  they  were  distressed 
and  scattered  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd.  Then  saith 
he  unto  his  disciples.  The  harvest  indeed  is  plenteous,  but 
the  laborers  are  few.  Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  that  he  send  forth  laborers  into  his  harvest.  (2) 
Their  spiritual  equipment.  He  gave  them  authority  over 
unclean  spirits,  to  cast  them  out  and  to  heal  all  manner  of 


Life  of  Christ.  143 

disease.  (3)  The  field.  Jesus  charged  them :  Go  not  to  the 
Gentiles  and  enter  not  into  any  city  of  the  Samaritans ;  but 
go  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel.  (4)  Their 
Message  and  Mission.  New  as  ye  go  preach,  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand.  Pleal  the  sick,  raise  the  dead, 
cleanse  the  lepers,  cast  out  demons.  (5)  Simplicity  of  Life. 
Freely  ye  received,  freely  give.  Get  you  no  money ;  no 
wallet,  neither  two  coats,  nor  shoes,  nor  staff :  for  the  laborer 
is  worthy  of  his  food.  (6)  Their  Support.  Into  whatso- 
ever city  ye  shall  enter,  search  out  who  in  it  is  worthy ; 
and  there  abide  till  ye  go  forth.  (7)  Wisdom  enjoined.  1 
send  you  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves :  be  ye  there- 
fore wise  as  serpents,  and  harmless  as  doves.  (8)  Help  in 
persecution  promised:  But  beware  of  men:  for  they  will 
deliver  you  up  to  councils,  and  in  their  synagogues  they 
will  scourge  you ;  before  governors  and  kings  shall  ye  be 
brought.  But  be  not  anxious  how  or  what  ye  shall  speak : 
for  it  shall  be  given  you  in  that  hour  what  ye  shall  speak. 
For  it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father 
that  speaketh  in  you.  (9)  Christ's  example  should  encour- 
age them.  A  disciple  is  not  above  his  teacher.  If  they 
have  called  the  master  Beelzebub,  how  much  more  them 
of  his  household.  Be  not  afraid  of  them  that  kill  the  body, 
but  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul :  but  rather  fear  him  who  is 
able  to  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  hell.  (10)  Loyalty 
enjoined :  Every  one  who  shall  confess  me  before  men,  him 
will  I  also  confess  before  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven.  But 
whosoever  shall  deny  me  before  men,  him.  will  I  also  deny 
before  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  (n)  Effect  of  their 
preaching.  Think  not  that  I  came  to  send  peace  on  the 
earth :  but  a  sword.  For  I  came  to  set  a  man  at  variance 
against  his  father,  and  the  daughter  against  her  mother, 
and  the  daughter-in-law  against  her  mother-in-law ;  and  a 
man's  foes  j/zo// 5^  they  of  his  own  household.  (12)  Christ 
before  family.  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother,  son  or 
daughter  more  than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me.  He  that  doth 
not  take  his  cross  and  follow  after  m.e,  is  not  worthy  of 


144  -^^/^  ^f  Christ. 

nie.  He  that  findeth  his  Hfe  shall  lose  it;  and  he  that  loseth 
his  life  for  my  sake  shall  find  it.  (13)  Reward  for  receiv- 
ing them.  He  that  receiveth  you  receiveth  me,  and  he  that 
receiveth  me  receiveth  him  that  sent  me.  (14)  When 
Jesus  had  finished  commanding  his  twelve  disciples,  he  and 
they  went  out  to  teach  and  preach  in  the  cities.  The  dis- 
ciples cast  out  demons  and  anointed  the  sick  with  oil  and 
healed  them. 

226.  Death  of  the  Baptist,  (i)  At  that  season  (about 
March  A.  D.  29),  Herod  Antipas,  the  tetrarch  of  Galilee  and 
Perea,  heard  the  report  concerning  Jesus,  and  said  unto  his 
servants,  This  is  John  the  Baptist;  he  is  risen  from  the 
dead;  and  therefore  do  these  powers  work  in  him.  (2) 
Others  said,  it  is  Elijah  or  one  of  the  old  prophets  risen 
again.  And  Herod  desired  to  see  Jesus.  (3)  On  Herod's 
birthday,  it  was  that  the  daughter  of  Herodias  danced,  and 
pleased  Herod.  Whereupon  he  promised  with  an  oath  to 
give  her  whatsoever  she  should  ask.  (4)  And  she,  being 
put  forward  by  her  mother,  saith.  Give  me  here  on  a  platter 
the  head  of  John  the  Baptist.  (5)  The  king  was  grieved; 
but  for  the  sake  of  his  oaths,  and  of  them  that  sat  at  meat 
with  him,  he  commanded  it  to  be  given.  (6)  So  his  head 
was  brought  on  a  platter,  and  given  to  the  damsel  and  she 
brought  it  to  her  mother.  (7)  John's  disciples  buried  the 
body  and  told  Jesus. 

227.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources; 
trace  the  Lord's  movements  on  the  map ;  memorize  Matt.  9 :  27-  -• 
For  the  features  distinguishing  the  second  rejection  from  the  first 
one  recorded  in  Luke  4:  16,  see  II146  (6).  3.  The  Lord  adds  to  the 
proverb,  "and  in  his  own  house,"  because  by  this  time  even  his  own 
brothers  had  become  doubtful  as  to  his  mission  (Jno.  7:  15).  4-  The 
t'lural  "sisters"  shows  that  Jesus  had  more  than  one  sister  and 
that  he  was  therefore  one  of  a  family  of  not  less  than  seven  child- 
ren. 5.  How  long  the  third  preaching  tour  continued  can  not  be 
determined.  Matthew's  language  that  "Jesus  went  about  all  the 
cities  and  villages"  suggests  a  considerable  period.  6.  "Distressed 
and  scattered"  i.  e.  spiritually  uncared  for.  The  figure  of  the  har- 
vest means  tliat  unless  saved  they  will  perish  like  ripe  wheat  that  is 


Life  of  Christ.  145 

not  reaped.  7.  Notice  the  gradual  training  of  the  Twelve.  In  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  he  instructs  them  in  the  principles  of  the 
kingdom ;  in  the  eight  parables  by  the  sea  he  taught  them  the  de- 
velopment of  the  kingdom.  For  some  time  they  accompanied  him 
on  his  journeys;  now  he  sends  them  out  without  him,  yet  in  pairs. 
Later  narratives  show  this  training  carried  still  farther.  Let  no 
one  say  the  apostles  had  no  Seminary  training.  8.  Their  labors 
were  confined  to  Galilee.  They  were  forbidden  to  enter  Samaria 
and  it  is  unlikely  that  they  went  into  Judea  from  which  portion 
the  Lord  was  excluded.  9.  The  duration  of  their  labors  was  at 
least  several  weeks.  Journeying  two  by  two  they  could  visit  many 
towns  in  a  few  weeks.  10.  The  mission  of  the  twelve  was  to  an- 
nounce that  the  Messiah  had  appeared  and  to  confirm  these  words 
by  miracles.  11.  The  purpose  of  the  injunction  in  Mark  6:8  and 
g  is  to  secure  simplicity  and  freedom  in  their  work.  The  customs 
of  the  land  made  it  unnecessary  to  provide  for  travelling  expenses 
since  they  went  afoot  and  could  obtain  free  entertainment  every- 
where. 12.  The  dress  of  an  ancient  Oriental  was  quite  simple  con- 
sisting of  a  pair  of  sandals,  a  turban,  a  tunic  (a  garment  in  form 
not  unlike  a  long  shirt  round  which  the  girdle  was  bound),  and  a 
cloak  (scarcely  more  than  a  large  square  piece  of  cloth).  Two 
tunics,  one  for  Sabbath  or  festivals,  was  a  sign  of  comparative 
wealth  (Luke  3:  11),  and  it  was  this  that  Jesus  forbade.  He  him^ 
self  apparently  wore  but  one  (Jno.  19:23).  "Purses,"  literally 
"girdles, "were  used  not  only  for  holding  together  the  loose  outer 
robe,  but  as  a  place  to  carry  money.  "Wallet"  (A.  V.  "scrip")  was 
a  leather  bag  for  carrying  provisions.  "Nor  shoes :"  Possibly 
meaning  an  extra  pair,  since  Christ  did  not  mean  that  His  disciples 
should  go  barefooted  (see  Mk.  9).  13.  The  instructions  are  com- 
prehensive and  probably  a  summary  of  what  Christ  had  told  them 
on  different  occasions.  They  had  prospective  reference  to  their 
larger  work  after  the  Lord's  ascension  and  even,  in  some  measure 
at  least,  to  all  missionary  work  of  the  church.  Some  directions 
are  plainly  temporary,  as  for  instance  those  not  to  visit  the  heathen 
or  the  Samaritans,  and  to  make  no  provision  of  money  or  cloth- 
ing. 14.  "Shaking  off  the  dust"  was  a  symbolic  act  which  meant 
that  they  would  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the  people.  It  was 
a  custom  of  the  rabbis ;  as  they  considered  the  dust  of  a  Gentile 
country  defiling,  they  shook  it  off  when  entering  Judaea  (Mt.  18: 
17;  Acts  13:51;  18:6).  15:  "Salute  it"  (Matt.  10:12)  with  the 
common  Eastern  greeting  "Peace  be  unto  you."  "Peace"  means  the 
peace  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  of  which  they  were  the  messen- 
gers. 16.  During  the  mission  tour  of  the  Twelve  the  Baptist's 
death  occurred,  about  March,  A.  D.  29.     After  Christ's  return  to 


146  Life  of  Christ. 

Capernaum,  John's  disciples  met  him  there  and  announced  the  sad 
event.  17.  Notice  the  manner  in  which  all  synoptists  introduce 
the  report  of  John's  death  indicating  the  use  of  one  and  the  same 
documents.  18.  That  Herod  should  not  have  heard  earlier  of  one 
who  crossed  and  re-crossed  his  dominions  followed  by  great  multi- 
tudes is  best  explained  by  the  supposition  that  during  Christ's 
ministry  Herod  was  absent  from  Galilee,  either  living  in  Perea  or 
on  a  visit  to  Rome  or  at  war  with  Aretas,  the  father  of  his  first 
wife  whom  he  had  put  away.  19.  The  occasion  of  John's  death 
was  either  Herod's  birthday  or  his  name  day,  or  the  anniversary 
of  his  accession  to  the  throne.  The  latter  would  make  the  date 
of  the  Baptist's  death  April,  A.  U.  C.  782,  since  Herod  the  Great 
died  a  few  days  before  the  passover  in  April,  A.  U.  C.  750.  20. 
Josephus  in  Ant.  18 :  52  says  that  John's  death  excited  great  con- 
sternation among  the  Jews  because  they  regarded  him  as  a  prophet. 

228.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Men  are  to  witness  to  the  truth  as 
far  as  they  know  it.  2.  The  preaching  of  the  gospel  has  ever  been 
accompanied  by  the  relief  of  bodily  ills  and  acts  of  philanthropy. 
3.  Christians  should  not  refuse  all  intercourse  with  or  refrain  from 
a  second  attempt  to  win  those  who  reject  Christ  at  the  first  pre- 
sentation. 4.  These  rules  were  for  a  rapid  mission  whose  main 
object  was  to  arouse  attention,  and  prepare  for  a  future  more  ex- 
tensive ministry.  The  principle  contained  in  the  Lord's  instruc- 
tions as  to  dress,  namely  great  simplicity,  is  still  binding  on  the 
minister.  5.  Missionary  motives:  (a)  Loyalty  and  obedience  to 
Christ  (Matt.  28:  19)  ;  (b)  The  need  of  men  (Matt.  9:36;  Lu.  15)  ; 
(c)  Love  to  our  neighbor  (Matt.  22:39);  (d)  Sense  of  steward- 
ship (Matt.  10:81);  (e)  The  reflective  influence  on  us  (Acts  4: 
20).  6.  A  promise  may  be  broken  if  its  fulfillment  involves  the 
commission  of  a  crime.  7.  A  true  instinct  told  John's  disciples 
where  to  go  for  refuge  in  their  great  bereavement  and  loneliness. 

229.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  26  and  28;  Stalker, 
TIi05 ;  Andrews  307 ;  Edersheim,  Life  of  Jesus,  I,  591 ;  Davis,  D.  B. 
on  Apostle,  p.  42;  on  Herod,  p.  289. 

230.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Why  are  a  person's  gifts 
very  often  not  appreciated  at  his  native  place?  2.  Why  is  faith 
a  condition  for  obtaining  blessings?  3.  Give  the  evidence  that  the 
restriction  of  the  missionary  field  was  temporary.  4.  What  prin- 
ciple underlies  Matt.  10:9,  10?  5.  Was  it  literally  and  always 
obeyed?  (See  Lu.  22:35-36).  6.  Why  did  the  disciples  use  rem- 
edies (oil,  Mk.  6:  13)  when  Jesus  did  not?  7.  What  was  the  harvest 
in  Matt.  10:5?  8.  Why  did  not  Herod  hear  of  Jesus  before  this? 
9.  Must  one  keep  a  criminal  promise? 


Life  of  Christ.  147 

CHAPTER  28. 

The  Great  Crisis  at  Capernaum, 

Matt.    14:13-15:20;   Mk.  6:30-7:26;   Lu.  9:10-17;   Jno. 
6:  I -7 1.     Harmony  66-69. 

231.  Seeking  Rest  near  Bethsaida.  (i)  When  Jesus 
and  all  the  apostles  had  returned  to  Capernaum  from  the 
third  missionary  tour,  he  said,  come  apart  to  a  desert  place 
and  rest  awhile.  (2)  For,  as  the  passover  was  near  (April, 
A.  D.  29)  large  multitudes  were  gathering  in  Capernaum, 
so  that  they  had  not  even  leisure  to  eat.  (3)  Therefore 
they  rode  in  a  boat  to  the  western  Bethsaida  and  sat  down 
on  a  mountain.  (4)  When  the  people  saw  this  they  follow- 
ed on  foot  and  outwent  them.  (5)  He  welcomed  them, 
healed  their  sick  and  taught  them. 

232.  The  Feeding  of  the  Five  Thousand,  (i )  When  even 
was  come,  the  disciples  said,  send  them  away  to  buy  food. 
Jesus  said,  Give  ye  them  to  eat.  (2)  Turning  to  Philip  he 
asked.  Whence  are  we  to  buy  bread,  that  these  may  eat? 
This  he  said  to  prove  him :  for  he  knew  what  he  would  do. 
Philip  answered.  Two  hundred  shilling  worth  of  bread  is 
not  sufficient  for  them,  that  every  one  may  take  a  little.  (3 ) 
Andrew  saith.  There  is  a  lad  here,  who  hath  five  barley 
loaves,  and  two  fishes ;  but  what  are  these  among  so  many  ? 
(4)  Jesus  said,  Make  the  people  sit  down.  So  the  men  sat 
down,  about  five  thousand.  (5)  Jesus  took  the  loaves  ;  and 
having  given  thanks,  distributed  to  them ;  likewise  also  of 
the  fishes.  (6)  When  they  were  filled,  he  saith.  Gather  up 
the  broken  pieces  which  remain  over,  that  nothing  be  lost. 
So  they  gathered  twelve  baskets. 

233.  Offer  to  Make  Jesus  King.  ( i )  When  the  people 
saw  the  sign  which  he  did,  they  said,  This  is  of  a  truth  the 
prophet  that  cometh  into  the  world.  (2)  Jesus  therefore 
perceiving  that  they  were  about  to  take  him  by  force,  to 
make  him  king,  constrained  his  disciples  to  go  by  boat  to  the 


148  Life  of  Christ. 

western  Bethsaida  (Mk.  6:45),  then  he  sent  the  people 
away,  and  himself  withdrew  again  into  the  mountain  to 
pray. 

234.  Jesus  Walking  on  the  Water,  ( i )  When  the  dis- 
ciples had  rowed  about  five  and  twenty  or  thirty  furlongs, 
they  beheld  Jesus  walking  on  the  sea,  drawing  nigh  unto 
the  boat.  (2)  Supposing  it  was  an  apparition,  they  were 
afraid.  But  he  said,  It  is  I,  be  not  afraid.  (3)  Peter  said, 
Lord,  if  it  be  thou,  bid  me  come.  Jesus  said.  Come.  Peter 
walked  upon  the  waters.  But  when  he  saw  the  wind  he 
was  afraid,  and  beginning  to  sink,  he  cried  out.  Lord,  save 
me.  Jesus  took  hold  of  him  and  saith,  O  thou  of  little 
faith,  wherefore  didst  thou  doubt?  (4)  When  both  were 
in  the  boat,  the  wind  ceased ;  and  they  that  were  in  the  boat 
worshipped  him,  saying.  Of  a  truth  thou  art  the  Son  of 
God. 

235.  Landing  at  Genesaret.  (i)  Probably  on  ac- 
count of  the  storm  they  landed  at  Genesaret,  the  plain  south 
of  Capernaum,  instead  of  at  Bethsaida  as  they  had  intended 
(Mk.  6:45).  (2)  The  men  of  that  place  knew  Jesus  and 
sent  into  all  that  region  and  brought  all  that  were  sick. 
These  besought  him  that  they  might  only  touch  the  border 
of  his  garment,  and  as  many  as  touched  were  made  whole. 

236.  Seeking  Jesus,  (i)  Many  people  remained  over 
night  at  the  place  of  the  feeding  expecting  Jesus  to  return 
from  the  mountains  as  they  knew  that  he  had  not  left  in 
the  boat  with  his  disciples.  (2)  In  the  morning,  when  they 
saw  neither  Jesus  nor  his  disciples  they  went  to  Capernaum 
in  boats  which  had  meanwhile  arrived,  seeking  Jesus.  (3) 
They  met  him  in  the  synagogue  and  said,  Rabbi  when 
camest  thou  thither? 

237.  Discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life,  (i)  Exposing 
the  selfish  motive  underlying  their  interest,  Jesus  said,  Ye 
seek  me,  not  because  ye  saw  signs  but  because  ye  ate  of  the 
loaves.  Work  not  for  the  food  which  perisheth  but  for  the 
food  wliich  abideth  unto  eternal  life.  (2)  They:  What 
work  must  we  do?     Jesus:  Believe  on  him  whom  God  hath 


Life  of  Christ.  149 

sent.  They :  What  doest  thou  for  a  sign,  that  we  may  see, 
and  believe  thee?  Our  fathers  ate  manna  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Jesus :  I  am  the  bread  of  life :  he  that  cometh  to  me 
shall  not  hunger,  and  he  that  believeth  on  me  shall  never 
thirst.  The  Jews  murmured :  Is  not  this  the  son  of  Jos- 
eph? How  doth  he  say,  I  am  come  down  out  of  heaven? 
Jesus :  By  this  bread  I  mean  my  flesh,  which  I  will  give  for 
the  life  of  the  world.  The  Jews :  How  can  this  man  give  us 
his  flesh  to  eat?  Jesus:  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son 
of  man  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  not  life  in  yourselves. 
He  that  eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood  hath  eternal 
life ;  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day. 

238.  Results  of  the  Discourse,  (i)  Many  of  his  dis- 
ciples said.  This  is  a  hard  saying.  Jesus  explaining  his 
mystical  words  said.  It  is  the  spirit  that  giveth  life ;  the 
flesh  profiteth  nothing;  the  words  that  I  have  spoken  unto 
you  are  spirit,  and  are  life.  But  there  are  some  of  )^ou  that 
believe  not.  For  Jesus  knew  from  the  beginning  who  they 
were  that  believed  not,  and  who  it  was  that  should  betray 
him.  Upon  this  many  of  his  disciples  walked  no  more  with 
him.  (2)  Then  said  Jesus  unto  the  twelve,  Would  ye  also 
go  away?  Peter  answered,  Lord  to  whom  shall  we  go? 
thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life.  And  we  have  believed 
and  know  that  thou  art  the  Holy  One  of  God.  Jesus  an- 
swered. Did  not  I  choose  you  the  twelve,  and  one  of  you  is 
a  devil? 

239.  Eating  with  Unwashed  Hands,  (i)  Galilean 
visitors  at  the  recent  passover  (April  18,  A.  D.  29),  no 
doubt  had  spread  the  news  of  the  feeding  of  the  five  thou- 
sand and  of  Christ's  great  popularity.  This  induced  Phar- 
isees and  scribes  from  Jerusalem  to  come  and  watch  him. 
(2)  They  noticed  that  some  of  his  disciples  ate  bread  with 
unwashen  hands,  and  they  ask  him.  Why  walk  not  thy  dis- 
ciples according  to  the  tradition  of  the  elders?  (3)  Jesus 
said,  Well  did  Isaiah  prophesy  of  you  hypocrites.  This  peo- 
ple honoreth  me  with  their  lips,  But  their  heart  is  far  from 
me.     Ye  leave  the  commandment  of  God  and  hold  fast  the 


150  Life  of  Christ. 

tradition  of  men.  (4)  Moses  said,  Honor  thy  father  and 
thy  mother;  but  ye  say,  If  a  man  shall  say  to  his  father  or 
his  mother,  That  wherewith  thou  mightest  have  been  pro- 
fited by  me  is  Corban,  that  is  to  say.  Given  to  God;  ye 
no  longer  suffer  him  to  do  aught  for  his  father  or  his 
mother;  making  void  the  word  of  God  by  your  tradition. 
(5)  And  he  called  to  him  the  multitude,  and  said,  There 
is  nothing  from  without  the  man,  that  going  into  him  can 
defile  him ;  but  the  things  which  proceed  out  of  the  man  are 
those  that  defile  and  make  him  unclean.  (6)  Then  came  the 
disciples  and  said,  Knowest  thou  that  the  Pharisees  were 
offended,  when  they  heard  this  saying?  He  answered, 
Every  plant  which  my  heavenly  Father  planted  not,  shall  be 
rooted  up.  Let  them  alone :  they  are  blind  guides.  And  if 
the  blind  guide  the  blind,  both  shall  fall  into  the  pit.  (7) 
When  he  was  entered  into  the  house  from  the  multitude, 
Peter  and  his  disciples  asked  of  him  the  meaning  of  the 
parable.  He  saith,  whatsoever  from  without  goeth  into  the 
man,  cannot  defile  him ;  because  it  goeth  not  into  his  heart. 
P>ut  that  which  proceedeth  out  of  the  man  defileth  the  man. 
(8)  For  from  within  evil  thoughts  proceed,  fornications, 
thefts,  murders,  adulteries,  covetings,  wickednesses,  deceit, 
lasciviousness,  an  evil  eye,  railing,  pride,  foolishness :  all 
these  evil  things  proceed  from  within,  and  defile  the  man. 

240.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources; 
locate  places ;  trace  our  Lord's  movements ;  on  Bethsaida,  see  ^7  \ 
memorize  Jno.  6:35.  2.  The  purpose  of  this  retirement  probably 
was:  (a)  desire  to  obtain  rest  for  himself  and  the  Twelve;  (b) 
to  hear  their  reports;  (c)  to  calm  his  soul  which  was  no  doubt 
agitated  by  the  report  of  the  death  of  his  faithful  forerunner.  All 
this  could  not  be  obtained  at  Capernaum.  3.  Note  that  here  is  one 
passover  mentioned  at  which  the  Lord  was  not  in  Jerusalem,  prob- 
ably because  the  sentence  of  death  was  hanging  over  him  and  his 
time  had  not  jet  come.  (4)  The  effect  of  this  miracle  was  to  con- 
firm the  people  in  their  false  Messianic  hopes  that  the  Messiah 
would  bring  chiefly  temporal  prosperity.  The  people  evidently 
recalled  the  promise  of  Moses,  Deut.  18:15 — "The  Lord  thy  God 
will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  prophet  from  the  midst  of  thee,  of  thy 


Life  of  Christ.  151 

brethren,  like  unto  me;  unto  him  ye  shall  hearken."  And  seeing 
in  this  miracle  a  likeness  to  Moses  who  fed  their  fathers  with 
manna  (Jno.  6:30  and  31),  they  concluded  that  Jesus  was  the 
promised  prophet.  5.  The  "loaves"  here  spoken  of  were  thin,  flat 
barley  cakes,  something  like  large  crackers.  It  took  three  such 
loaves  to  make  a  meal  for  one  man.  The  loaves  and  fishes  used 
in  this  miracle  were  purchased  by  the  disciples  from  a  boy  who  had 
apparently  brought  his  own  luncheon  (Jno.  6:9).  6.  The  Lord 
had  to  constrain  his  disciples  to  depart,  for  two  reasons:  (a)  they 
were  unwilling  to  leave  him  alone  with  this  multitude  that  showed 
signs  of  forcing  him  to  become  the  leader  of  an  insurrection;  (b) 
The  desire  to  make  him  king  created  an  atmosphere  which  was 
unsafe  for  the  disciples  who  themselves  were  not  free  from  false 
Messianic  ideas.  7.  This  is  the  second  instance  mentioned  of  a 
night  spent  alone  in  prayer  (cf.  Luke  6:  12  and  13,  the  night  prior 
to  the  choice  of  the  Twelve).  A  crisis  and  bitter  conflict  were 
ahead  of  him  in  the  coming  weeks.  8.  It  is  most  instructive  that 
Jesus  did  not  dally  with  this  temptation  for  a  moment.  Though 
on  a  small  scale  it  was  similar  to  that  after  his  baptism  (Matt.  8: 
10).  9.  Rationalistic  interpreters  have  labored  to  show  that  the 
phrase  "upon  the  Sea"  may  mean  that  Jesus  walked  along  the 
shore  parallel  to  the  vessel.  But  the  records  intend  to  describe 
an  amazing  miracle.  10.  "About  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night," 
i.  e.  between  3  and  6  A.  M.  The  night  beginning  at  6  P.  M.  was, 
according  to  the  Roman  method  of  reckoning,  divided  into  four 
watches  of  about  three  hours  each.  In  Roman  times  the  number 
of  watches  were  four,  sometimes  described  by  their  numerical 
order  (Matt.  14:25),  sometimes  by  the  terms  "evening"  (closing 
at  9  P.  M.),  "Midnight" — "cock  crowing"  (3  A.  M.)  ;  "morning" 
(6  P.  M.).  The  old  Jews  recognized  only  three  watches.  See 
D.  B.  II.  John  6:47-56  mentions  the  distance  which  they  had 
rowed  when  they  saw  Jesus,  25  or  30  stadia,  about  three  miles,  the 
stadium  being  about  one-ninth  of  a  mile.  As  the  lake  was  about 
45  furlongs  broad  at  the  northern  end,  Christ's  appearance  occurred 
about  half  way. 

241.  I.  Genesaret  is  a  plain  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  running  from  Magdala  on  the  south  to  Capernaum  on  the 
north  and  extending  backward  to  the  irregular  line  that  bounds  it 
on  the  west.  2.  This  discourse  was  a  crucial  test  of  his  worldly 
minded  followers  and  many  of  the  larger  circle  of  his  adherents 
left  him.  It  marks  also  a  crisis  in  the  relation  of  the  twelve  to 
him,  but  all  the  twelve  remained  steadfast.  3.  This  confession  of 
Peter  is  to  be  distinguished  from  that  made  later,  (Matt.  16:16), 
which  displays  a  higher  knowledge  of  the  Lord's  person.     Here  he 


152  Life  of  Christ. 

calls  Jesus  "The  Holy  One  of  God"  expressing  his  Messiahship; 
there  he  calls  him  "The  Son  of  the  Living  God"  expressing  the 
Deity  of  Jesus.  4.  The  terms  "eating  his  flesh  and  drinking  his 
blood"  arc  synonymous  with  the  term  "Believing  in  him,"  appro- 
priating him  by  vital  faith,  Jno.  6:53.  They  teach  the  so-called 
"Unio  Mystica"  (mystical  union)  and  not  the  bodily  presence 
of  Christ  in  the  Lord's  supper.  The  Lord's  own  interpretation  is 
decisive — "It  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth,"  Jno.  6:63.  5.  The 
delegation  mentioned  (Matt.  15:  i),  sent  by  the  leaders  from  Jeru- 
salem to  watch  and  oppose  Jesus  in  Galilee  was  the  second  for 
such  a  purpose.  6.  The  eating  with  unwashed  hands  shows  that 
the  disciples  were  becoming  indifferent  to  the  Pharisaic  traditions. 
7.  On  the  tradition  of  the  elders,  see  ^30  (5).  8.  "Corban"  means 
"devoted  to  God"  and  thus  excluded  from  use  for  other  purposes. 
(See  Edersheim,  Vol.  I,  p.  19).  If  e.  g.  parents  asked  of  a  son 
any  article,  he  could  simply  say,  "corban,"  that  is,  it  is  consecrated 
to  God,  adding  in  his  mind,  "as  far  as  my  parents  are  concerned." 
Then  he  was  not  only  permitted  but  bound  to  withhold  it.  But 
afterwards  he  was  not  bound  to  give  the  article  to  the  temple. 
By  such  shameless  hypocrisy  the  Jews  were  able  to  cover  inhuman 
selfishness  with  the  garb  of  religion,  and  to  nullify  the  explicit 
command  of  God  that  children  should  honor  their  parents.  9. 
Note  the  severity  of  Christ's  reply.  For  the  first  time  he  addresses 
them  openly  as  hypocrites  (lit.:  "maskwearers,"  from  the  custom 
at  the  theatres).  10.  John  6:22 — 40  records  Christ's  break  with 
the  Jewish  political  hopes,  and  Mk.  7:  1-23  his  decisive  break  with 
Jewish  traditions.  In  the  first  instance  he  repulsed  the  people,  and 
in  the  latter,  the  leaders.  The  words  spoken  in  private  to  his 
disciples  regarding  the  Pharisees  suggested  that  he  had  given  up 
the  hope  of  impressing  them. 

242.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  This  miracle  forms  the  brilliant 
inauguration  of  that  continuous  miracle  of  Christian  charity  which 
constantly  multiplies  bread  for  the  hungry.  2.  We  must  assimi- 
late Christ,  that  is,  his  thoughts,  feelings,  habits,  and  thus  become 
like  him  whom  we  love.  3.  History  furnishes  examples  of  how 
hard  it  is  to  refuse  a  crown  (Cassar,  King  of  Poland).  4.  That 
Christ  felt  this  as  a  recurrence  of  temptation  is  proved  by  his  re- 
tirement for  prayer,  and  the  fact  that  he  constrained  his  disciples, 
who  may  have  urged  him  to  accept  the  offer,  to  go  away.  5.  Perils 
of  Tradition.  It  is  common  to  attach  the  greatest  weight  to  the 
oldest  opinion.  "S'ct  it  is  not  correct  to  look  for  the  highest  wisdom 
in  antiquity;  because,  as  Bacon  reminds  us,  we  are  the  ancients, 
and  they  who  lived  before  us  belonged  to  the  childhood  of  the 
race.     On  the  other  hand,  ideas  that  have  stood  the  test  of  time 


Life  of  Christ.  153 

win  a  certain  guarantee  of  their  solidity  in  comparison  with  raw 
notions,  suddenly  springing  from  the  imagination  of  a  new  thinker. 
But  that  is  only  the  case  when  those  ideas  are  being  constantly 
tested  by  experience  and  criticism ;  and  it  does  not  apply  after 
tradition  has  become  petrified  and  has  attained  the  rank  of  a 
venerated  idol.  Tradition  sometimes  claims  to  be  of  divine  origin, 
handed  down  in  the  Church  from  the  time  of  the  Apostles  in  a 
line  of  authorized  teachers.  The  extravagant  pretensions  of  Ro- 
manism, founded  on  the  authority  of  tradition,  which  the  Council 
of  Trent  declared  to  be  of  equal  value  with  that  of  Scripture,  warn 
us  against  the  danger  of  trusting  such  claims.  Tradition  may  be- 
come an  excuse  for  unfaithfulness  to  Divine  revelation.  Thus  it 
was  with  the  Jews,  the  Romanists  and  others.  6.  In  every  religious 
community  there  is  a  tendency  to  place  the  keeping  of  certain 
observances  that  are  added  to  the  law  above  the  law  itself;  to 
consider  these  extra  things  as  the  marks  of  a  religious  man,  to 
call  a  man  religious  or  irreligious  according  as  he  does  or  does  not 
things  that  have  as  little  to  do  with  fundamental  morality  as  the 
washing  of  hands  before  eating.  We  are  apt,  all  of  us,  to  pay 
attention  to  the  means  rather  than  to  what  is  the  great  end  of 
all  religion ;  to  wash  our  hands  instead  of  our  hearts. 

243.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  29,  30;  Andrews,  320; 
Edersheim,  Life  of  Jesus  I,  676;  II,  3-36;  Davis,  D.  B.  on  Lord's 
Supper;  Deems,  Gospel  of  Spiritual  Insight;  How  Jesus  is  the 
bread  of  life  is  made  plain  by  Henry  Drummond,  in  "The  Changed 
Life,"  and  "The  Greatest  Thing  in  the  World."  On  the  bearing  of 
John  6  on  the  Lord's  Supper,  see  Cambridge,  Com.  I,  p.  152. 

244.  Points  for  Discussion,  i.  Did  Jesus  believe  in  vacation 
periods?  2.  Why  did  not  Jesus  attend  this  passover?  3.  Do  men 
to-day  follow  Jesus  from  similar  motives  as  these  people?  4.  Why 
did  not  Jesus  meet  the  murmurs  about  his  supposed  parentage  and 
place  of  birth  by  revealing  the  mystery  of  his  earthly  origin?  5. 
Or  is  the  stronger  emphasis  of  his  heavenly  origin  an  indirect  an- 
swer. 6.  Has  the  old  Pharisaic  "corban"  spirit  died  out  among 
Christian  children?  7.  Why  has  ritualistic  formalism  the  tendency 
to  kill  the  real  life  of  religion? 

245.  Review  Questions. 

I.  Name  the  first  two  chief  divisions  of  the  Life  of  Christ?  Also 
the  subdivisions  of  each,  and  give  the  dates  of  chief  and  subdi- 
visions? 2.  Enumerate  the  events  of  each  subdivision  in  the  order 
of  time.  3.  Of  the  Year  of  Popularity,  (a)  explain  the  name; 
(b)    state   the  provinces   of   the  ministry;    (c)    the   duration;    (d) 


154  ^^^f^  of  Christ. 

the  events  and  dates  of  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  the  period; 
(e)  the  two  subdivisions;  (f)  the  sources  of  information  by  gos- 
pels and  chapters.  4.  Trace  the  Lord's  movement  on  the  map  as 
contained  in  the  first  and  second  subdivisions  and  name  the  events 
connected  therewith.  (To  assist  the  memory,  group  the  events 
around  Christ's  principal  movements:  i.  Removal  to  Capernaum; 
first  preaching  tour ;  trip  to  his  2d  passover  at  Jerusalem.  2.  Jour- 
ney to  Mt.  of  Beatitudes;  second  preaching  tour,  to  Gadara;  to 
Bethsaida — See  table  of  contents).  5.  Enumerate  in  chronological 
order  the  more  notable  miracles  of  the  period.  6.  Give  in  the  order 
of  time  the  more  prominent  discourses.  7.  Name  the  "Lake  group" 
of  the  parables  in  the  order  spoken.  8.  Mention  some  persons  with 
whom  Christ  came  in  contact.  9.  What  was  the  general  attitude 
of  the  rulers  and  the  people  toward  Christ  during  this  period?  10. 
Name  some  prominent  characteristics  of  this  period  as  to  amount 
and  kind  of  work,  organization  of   forces,  etc. 


DIVISION  IV. 

The  Year  of  Opposition 

From  the  Crisis  at  Capernaum   to  the   Triumphal   Entry   into 

Jerusalem;  from  the  Passover,  April  18,  A.  D.  29  to  Palm 

Sunday,  April  2,  A.  D.  30,  or  about  one  year. 

TWO  SUB-DIVISIONS. 

I.  The  Third  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry.  From  the  Crisis 
at  Capernaum,  until  the  Final  Departure  for  Jerusalem,  From 
the  Passover,  April  i8,  to  November,  A.  D.  29,  or  about  seven 
months. 

II.  The  Perean  Ministry.  From  the  Final  Departure  for  Jeru- 
salem until  the  Triumphal  Entry  into  Jerusalem.  From  No- 
vember, A.  D.  29  to  April  2,  A.  D.  30,  or  about  five  months. 

First  Sub-division. 

THE  THIRD  PERIOD  OF  THE  GALILEAN 
MINISTRY. 

CHAPTER  29. 

First  Northern  Journey  to  Tyre  and  Sidon. 

Matt.  15  :  21-16:  12;  Mk.  7:  24-8:  26.    Harmony  70-74. 

246.  The  Syrophoenician  Woman,  (i)  As  after  the 
crisis  at  Capernaum  not  only  the  leaders  but  also  the  people 
and  even  many  of  his  disciples  in  the  wider  sense  of  the 
word  became  indifferent  or  hostile,  Jesus  left  Capernaum 
and  withdrew  into  the  region  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  with  the 
intention  of  hiding  himself  (Mk.  7:24).  (2)  But  a  Can- 
aanitish  woman  cried  out,  Have  mercy  on  me,  O  Lord,  thou 

155 


156  Life  of  Christ. 

Son  of  David,  my  daughter  is  grievously  vexed  with  a 
demon.  But  he  answered  her  not  a  word.  (3)  His  dis- 
ciples besought  him,  Send  her  away,  for  she  crieth  after 
us.  He  answered,  I  was  not  sent  but  unto  the  lost  sheep  of 
the  house  of  Israel.  (4)  She  worshipped  Him,  saying,  Lord, 
help  me.  He  said,  It  is  not  meet  to  take  the  children's  bread 
and  cast  it  to  the  dogs.  She  replied.  Yea,  Lord ;  but  even  the 
dogs  eat  of  the  crumbs  which  fall  from  their  master's  table. 
(5)  Then  Jesus  said,  O  woman,  great  is  thy  faith;  be  it 
done  unto  thee  even  as  thou  wilt.  And  her  daughter  was 
healed  from  that  hour  . 

247.  Return  through  Decapolis.  (i)  After  a  brief 
stay,  Jesus  departed  from  that  region  (in  summer  A.  D. 
29).  Going  through  Decapolis  he  came  nigh  unto  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  where  he  went  up  into  the  mountain.  (2)  Here 
came  unto  him  great  multitudes,  having  with  them  the  lame, 
blind,  dumb,  maimed  and  many  others  and  they  cast  them 
down  at  his  feet ;  and  he  healed  them ;  insomuch  that  the 
multitude  wondered  and  glorified  the  God  of  Israel. 

248.  Healing  of  a  Deaf  Mute,  (i)  One  of  the  sick 
was  deaf,  and  had  an  impediment  in  his  speech.  (2)  He 
took  him  aside  from  the  multitude,  put  his  fingers  into 
his  ears,  spat,  touched  his  tongue ;  and  looking  up  to  heaven, 
he  sighed  and  said,  Ephphatha,  that  is,  be  opened.  (3)  His 
ears  were  opened,  the  bond  of  his  tongue  was  loosed  and 
he  spake  plain.  (4)  Jesus  charged  them  that  they  should 
tell  no  man;  but  the  more  he  charged  them,  so  much  the 
more  they  published  it.  (5)  They  were  beyond  measure 
astonished,  saying.  He  hath  done  all  things  well ;  he  maketh 
even  the  deaf  to  hear  and  the  dumb  to  speak. 

249.  The  Feeding  of  the  Four  Thousand.  ( i )  When 
there  was  again  gathered  together  a  great  multitude,  Jesus 
said  to  his  disciples,  I  have  compassion  on  the  multitude, 
because  they  continue  with  me  now  three  days  and  have 
nothing  to  eat,  and  I  would  not  send  them  away  fasting,  lest 
they  faint  on  the  way.  (2)  The  disciples  say:  Whence 
should  we  have  so  many  loaves  in  a  desert  place  as  to  fill  so 


Life  of  Christ.  157 

great  a  multitude?  Jesus  said,  How  many  loaves  have  ye? 
They  said,  Seven  and  a  few  small  fishes.  (3)  Then  he 
commanded  the  multitude  to  sit  down  on  the  ground  and 
took  the  loaves  and  fishes,  gave  thanks,  brake  them,  gave 
to  the  disciples,  and  the  disciples  to  the  multitude.  (4) 
They  all  ate  and  were  filled  and  took  up  of  broken  pieces 
seven  baskets  full.  (5)  They  that  did  eat  were  four  thou- 
sand men,  beside  women  and  children. 

250.  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  demand  a  Sign,  (i) 
After  the  feeding  he  sent  away  the  multitudes  and  entered 
into  the  boat  and  came  into  the  borders  of  Magadan  (or 
Dalmanutha)  on  the  southeast  shore  of  the  lake.  (2)  Here 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees  trying  him  demanded  a  sign  from 
heaven.  (3)  Sighing  deeply,  he  answered:  When  it  is 
evening,  ye  say,  It  will  be  fair  weather;  for  the  heaven  is 
red.  And  in  the  morning.  It  will  be  foul  weather  to-day; 
for  the  heaven  is  red  and  lowering.  Ye  know  how  to  dis- 
cern the  face  of  the  heaven ;  but  ye  cannot  discern  the  sign 
of  the  times.  (4)  An  evil  and  adulterous  generation  seek- 
eth  after  a  sign ;  and  there  shall  no  sign  be  given  unto  it,  but 
the  sign  of  Jonah.  (5)  He  left  them,  and  again  entering 
into  the  boat  departed  to  the  other  side  (to  Bethsaida). 

251.  The  Leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  (i)  The  disciples 
forgot  to  take  bread  along,  having  with  them  not  more  than 
one  loaf.  (2)  So  when  he  charged  them,  Beware  of  the 
leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  the  Sadducees  and  of  Herod,  they 
reasoned :  We  have  no  bread.  (3)  Jesus  perceiving  it  saith. 
Why  reason  ye  because  ye  have  no  bread?  Do  ye  not  re- 
member the  five  loaves  among  the  five  thousand  and  how 
many  baskets  ye  took  up  ?  Neither  the  seven  loaves  among 
the  four  thousand  and  how  many  baskets  ye  took  up?  (4) 
Then  they  understood  that  He  meant  the  teaching  of  His 
opponents. 

252.  The  Blind  Man  near  Bethsaida  Julias,  (i) 
When  their  boat  landed  at  Bethsaida,  they  bring  to  him  a 
blind  man,  and  beseech  Him  to  touch  him.  (2)  He  took 
him  by  the  hand,  brought  him  out  of  the  village,  spit  on  his 


158  Life  of  Christ. 

eyes,  laid  his  hands  upon  him,  and  asked  him,  Seest  thou 
aught?  He  looked  up  and  said,  I  see  men,  as  trees,  walk- 
i"S-  (3)  Then  again  he  laid  his  hands  upon  his  eyes  and 
he  saw  all  things  clearly.  (4)  He  sent  him  away  to  his 
home,  saying.  Do  not  even  enter  into  the  village. 

253.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources; 
locate  places ;  trace  the  Lord's  movements  on  the  map ;  memorize 
Matt.  15:32.  2.  Tyre  is  about  35  miles,  in  an  air  line  northwest 
from  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  Sidon  about  25  miles  further  north, 
both  on  the  Mediterranean  coast,  chief  cities  of  old  Phoenicia  which 
was  at  that  time  a  part  of  the  Roman  province  of  Syria.  3.  Rea- 
sons for  the  withdrawal:  (a)  Disappointment  expressed  by  the 
5,000  people  whom  he  had  fed,  (b)  abandonment  of  him  by  many 
of  his  followers,  (c)  intensified  opposition  on  the  part  of  the 
Pharisees,  conditions  all  of  which  were  unfavorable  for  further 
evangelistic  work  in  Galilee;  (d)  Moreover,  Christ  desired  to  find 
the  rest  which  he  had  sought  in  vain  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake 
(Mk.  6:31).  4.  As  this  journey  was  not  for  preaching  but  for 
retirement  and  intercourse  with  his  disciples,  he  did  not  wish  to 
have  his  presence  known  (Mark  7:24).  5.  Christ  did  not  lower 
himself  to  the  level  of  Jewish  prejudice  and  call  this  woman  a 
"Gentile  dog."  The  figure  means  to  declare  that  to  enter  on  Mes- 
sianic activity  among  the  heathen  would  be  as  much  out  of  order 
as  for  a  man  to  take  his  children's  bread  and  cast  it  to  the  dogs. 
The  time  for  the  heathen  would  soon  come.  Christ's  personal 
efforts  were  to  be  confined  to  the  Jews.  Yet  this  limitation  is  not 
absolute.  For  sufficient  reasons  he  is  willing  to  go  outside  as  in 
this  case.  6.  "Canaanish"  describes  her  religion  as  a  non-Jew ; 
"Greek,"  or  "Syro-Phoenician"  denotes  her  nationality.  7.  Mark 
7:31  indicates  an  extended  and  somewhat  circuitous  journey,  for 
the  most  part  entirely  outside  of  Jewish  territory  leading  him  per- 
haps into  the  city  but  at  least  into  the  vicinity  of  Damascus.  8. 
Where  the  healing  of  the  deaf  man  occurred  is  not  exactly  stated. 
It  probably  took  place  on  Jesus'  return  into  the  vicinity  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee,  as  there  is  no  suggestion  that  the  man  was  a  Gentile. 
9.  On  Dccal'olis  see  116  (5).  10.  Some  hold  that  the  stories  of 
the  feeding  of  the  5,000  and  of  the  4,000  are  two  reports  of 
one  miracle.  But  the  points  favoring  the  view  that  there  were 
two  such  events  are  as  follows:  (i)  Matthew  and  Mark  relate 
both,  Mark  especially  distinguishing  the  two  by  the  word 
"again,"  (Mark  8:1).  (2)  They  differ:  (a)  as  to  the  locality, 
the    feeding    of    the    five    thousand    took    place    near    Bethsaida 


Life  of  Christ.  159 

in  Galilee,  the  feeding  of  the  four  thousand  in  a  desert  place 
somewhere  in  the  Decapolis  territory  or  near  the  Sea  of  Galilee ; 
(b)  as  to  the  quantity  of  food;  (c)  as  to  the  quantity  of  frag- 
ments gathered  up;  (d)  as  to  the  time  the  multitude  had  been  with 
Jesus;  (e)  as  to  the  events  both  preceding  and  following  the  mir- 
acle. II.  Magadan  and  Dalmanutha  are  either  two  names  for  the 
same  place  or  one  denotes  the  district  and  the  other  the  village,  or 
both  places  were  very  near  together.  The  place  is  located  by 
Robinson  on  the  S.  E.  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (Mark  8:  13)  ; 
others  indentify  it  with  Magdala,  south  of  Capernaum.  12.  This 
is  the  first  time  that  the  Sadducees  are  named  as  acting  unitedly 
with  the  Pharisees  in  opposition  to  Christ.  His  teaching  had  begun 
to  expose  their  errors  also.  Mark  substitutes  "Herod"  for  Sad- 
ducees, because  he  was  one.  13.  By  "a  sign  from  heaven"  they 
meant  some  visible  manifestation  of  God's  glory,  or  some  change 
in  the  heavenly  bodies,  or  thunder  and  lightening.  The  miracles 
that  He  had  already  worked  were  sufficient  to  prove  His  claims  to 
be  the  Messiah.  It  would  have  been  wrong  for  Him  to  work  a 
miracle  merely  to  please  His  enemies.  Even  if  He  had  done  so, 
they  would  have  found  some  excuse  for  rejecting  it.  14.  Here 
again  Christ  regards  his  resurrection  as  the  chief  sign  of  his  Mes- 
siahship.  15.  In  Matt.  16,  2,  3  Jesus  implies  that  it  is  man's  duty 
to  interpret  current  events,  to  read  in  passing  history  God's  mes- 
sage without  asking  for  portents  from  heaven.  In  the  condition 
of  the  Jewish  people  and  in  Jesus'  own  life  was  all  the  evidence 
they  needed  that  he  was  the  Messiah.  16.  By  leaven  Jesus  means 
principles  taught  or  exemplified  which  like  leaven  tend  to  trans- 
form man's  characters  into  likeness  to  itself.  17.  From  Dal- 
manutha the  Lord  crossed  the  sea  and  probably  went  directly  to 
Bethsaida  Julias,  east  of  the  Jordan,  without  stopping  at  Caper- 
naum. 18.  Here,  as  in  several  other  cases,  Christ  does  not  wish 
attention  drawn  to  him  as  a  healer  because  he  did  not  regard  re- 
lief of  suffering  as  His  highest  duty,  or  happiness  in  the  sense  of 
physical  comfort,  the  highest  good. 

254.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Many  sons  and  daughters  are  vexed 
with  the  demons  of  lust,  selfishness,  dishonesty,  envy,  jealousy,  in- 
temperance. Jesus  only  can  cast  them  out.  2.  Difficulties  are  not 
intended  to  discourage  but  to  strengthen  our  faith  and  character. 
3.  True  faith  is  humble,  earnest,  persevering,  importunate.  4.  The 
blind  man's  gradual  healing  is  a  type  of  man's  conversion  and  pro- 
gress in  holiness. 

255.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  34;  Andrews,  332.  On 
the  miracle  see  the  books  of  Trench,  Macdonald ;  Edersheim,  Life 
of  Jesus  II.  37  and  63;  Land  and  Book  II,  635.     Poems:  "Taulers 


i6o  Life  of  Christ. 

Faith"  by  Whittier,  and  the  "Syro-Phoenician  Woman,"  by  Mac- 
donald.  Examine  the  paintings ;  Davis  D.  B.  on  Decapolis,  p.  164. 
256.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  How  is  this  blind  man's 
condition  typical  of  the  Gentile  world?  2.  What  principle  respect- 
ing his  personal  mission  did  Jesus  enunciate  in  Matt.  15,  24?  3.  On 
what  ground  did  he  make  an  exception  to  this  rule?  4.  What 
general  principles  are  suggested  in  this  conduct  of  Jesus?  5.  How 
may  Jesus'  warning  in  Mk.  8:15  be  expressed  in  terms  of  our 
experience  to-day? 

CHAPTER  30. 
Second  Northern  Journey  to  Caesarea  Philippi, 

Matt.   16:13;  Mk.  8:27-9:13;  Luke  9:18-36.     Harmony 

75-77- 

257.  Peter's  Confession.  ( i  )  Leaving  Bethsaida  Julias 
Jesus  came  into  the  parts  of  Caesarea  PhiHppi.  (2)  After 
praying  alone,  he  asked  his  disciples,  Who  do  men  say  that 
the  Son  of  man  is?  They  answered,  some  say,  John  the 
Baptist;  some,  EHjah;  others,  Jeremiah,  or  one  of  the 
prophets.  (3)  He  saith,  But  who  say  ye  that  I  am?  Peter 
answered.  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 
Jesus  answered,  blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-Jonah,  for 
flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father 
who  is  in  heaven.  (4)  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock 
I  will  build  my  church ;  and  the  gates  of  Hades  shall  not 
prevail  against  it.  (5)  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  on  earth 
shall  be  bound  in  heaven ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose 
on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven.  (6)  Then  charged  he 
the  disciples  that  they  should  tell  no  man  that  he  was  the 
Christ. 

258.  First  Announcement  of  His  Death  and  Resurrec- 
tion, (i)  After  Peter's  great  confession,  Jesus  considered 
His  disciples  prepared  to  be  told  in  plain  words  that  he 
must  go  unto  Jerusalem,  and  suffer  many  things  of  the 


Life  of  Christ.  i6i 

elders  and  chief  priests  and  scribes,  and  be  killed  and  the 
third  day  be  raised  up.  (2)  Peter  began  to  rebuke  him, 
saying,  Be  it  far  from  thee.  Lord ;  this  shall  never  be  unto 
thee.  (3)  But  he  said  unto  Peter,  get  thee  behind  me, 
Satan,  thou  art  a  stumbling  block  unto  me ;  for  thou  mindest 
not  the  things  of  God,  but  the  things  of  men. 

259.  The  Duty  of  Cross-bearing,  (i)  Then  said  Jesus 
unto  his  disciples,  If  any  man  would  come  after  me,  let 
him  deny  himself  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me.  For 
whosoever  would  save  his  life  shall  lose  it,  and  whosoever 
shall  lose  his  life  for  my  sake,  shall  find  it.  (2)  For  what 
shall  a  man  be  profited  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world  and 
forfeit  his  life  ?  Or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for 
his  life?  (3)  The  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of 
his  Father  with  his  angels,  and  then  shall  he  render  unto 
every  man  according  to  his  deeds.  There  are  some  of  them 
that  stand  here,  who  shall  in  no  wise  taste  of  death,  till 
they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  kingdom. 

260.  The  Transfiguration,  (i)  Six  days  after  Christ's 
announcement  of  His  death  Jesus  taketh  with  Him  Peter, 
James  and  John  into  a  high  mountain  to  pray.  (2)  As  he 
was  praying,  he  was  transfigured  before  them ;  his  face  did 
shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  garments  became  white  as  the  light 
and  dazzling.  There  appeared  Moses  and  Elijah  talking 
with  him  of  his  death  at  Jerusalem.  (3)  The  disciples 
were  heavy  with  sleep;  but  when  they  were  fully  awake 
they  saw  his  glory  and  the  two  men.  (4)  Peter  said  unto 
Jesus,  Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here ;  if  thou  wilt,  I 
will  make  here  three  tabernacles ;  one  for  thee,  and  one  for 
Moses,  and  one  for  Elijah.  (5)  While  he  was  yet  speak- 
ing, a  bright  cloud  overshadowed  them;  and  a  voice  said. 
This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased ;  hear 
ye  him.  (6)  When  the  disciples  heard  it,  they  fell  on 
their  faces  and  were  sore  afraid.  Jesus  touched  them  and 
said,  Arise  and  be  not  afraid.  Lifting  up  their  eyes  they 
saw  no  one,  save  Jesus  only.  (7)  As  they  were  coming 
down  from  the  mountain,  Jesus  commanded  them :  Tell  the 


l62  Life  of  Christ. 

vision  to  no  man  until  the  Son  of  man  be  risen  from  the 
dead. 

261.  The  True  Elijah,  (i)  On  their  way  down  from 
the  mountain  his  disciples  asked  him :  Why  say  the  scribes 
that  Elijah  must  come  before  the  advent  of  the  Messiah? 

(2)  Jesus  answered,  Elijah  is  come  already,  and  they  knew 
him  not,  but  did  unto  him  whatsoever  they  would.  Even 
so  shall  the  son  of  man  also  suffer  of  them.  (3)  Then 
understood  the  disciples  that  he  spake  unto  them  of  John 
the  Baptist. 

262.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources; 
locate  places;  trace  the  Lord's  movements;  memorize  Matt.  16: 
18.  2.  From  Bcihsaida  Jesus  went  into  the  villages  of  (i.  e.  ad- 
jacent to)  Cresarea  PhiHppi,  25  miles  north  of  Bethsaida,  at  the 
foot  of  Mt.  Hermon.  3.  On  the  city,  see  ^Q  (3).  4.  Here  (Lu.  9: 
18  and  29),  as  before  other  hnportant  events,  Jesus  engaged  in 
solitary  prayer.  See  also  his  baptism  (Lu.  3:21)  ;  the  choosing  of 
the  twelve ;  the  crisis  at  Capernaum  and  at  Gethsemane.  5.  The 
answer  of  the  disciples  shows  that  Jesus  fell  below  the  popular 
expectation  of  the  Messiah.  Christ's  conduct  being  in  striking 
contrast  to  their  Messianic  ideal,  the  people  seemed  to  regard  Jesus 
rather  as  the  forerunner  of  the  Messiah  than  as  the  Messiah  him- 
self. 6.  Peter's  answer  is  not  the  confession  of  a  new  faith,  but 
of  loyalty  to  the  old  one.  This  does  not  imply  that  his  conception 
of  the  Messiah  had  remained  unchanged.  It  had  become  more 
spiritual.  Note  the  development  of  the  disciples'  conception  con- 
cerning the  person  of  Christ :  (a)  Andrew  to  Peter  at  Bethany, 
Jno.  1:41:  "We  have  found  the  Messiah;"  (b)  after  the  feeding 
of  the  five  thousand,  "The  Holy  One  of  God;"  (c)  here  the  belief 
in  Christ's  Deity.  7.  "Thou  art  Peter"  may  mean,  (i)  from  now 
on  you  are  to  be  known  by  your  second  name  which  you  bore  from 
childhood  (like  John  Mark,  Saul-Paul)  ;  or,  (2)  Jesus  pointing 
back  to  John  i :  42  means  to  say,  "you  have  to-day  made  good  the 
name  which   I  prophetically  gave  you  when   I   first  saw  you ;"  or 

(3)  the  name  was  given  on  this  occasion  and  Jno.  1:42  was  only 
a  promise  for  the  future :  "thou  shalt  be  called  Peter."  8.  "Upon 
this  rock."  Various  interpretations  (i)  on  the  person  of  Peter; 
(2)  on  the  faith  in  Christ's  Deity  (Chrysostom,  Ambrose,  Augus- 
tine), (3)  on  men  of  Peter's  type  and  spirit.  The  best  Protestant 
exegetes  defend  the  first,  as  grammatically  the  most  natural  inter- 
pretation.    No  one  would  have  thought  of  any  other  if  it  had  not 


Life  of  Christ.  163 

been  the  desire  to  escape  Rome's  astounding  inferences  from  such 
an  interpretation.  But  in  order  to  demolish  those  pretenses  we 
must  not  follow  Rome's  example  by  doing  violence  to  the  text.  The 
demonstrative  pronoun  "this"  points  to  the  person  of  Peter,  he 
being  the  first  believer  and  confessor  of  Christ's  Deity,  and  thus 
the  first  real  Christian.  Hence  the  meaning  is :  "on  thee,  as  the 
first  stone,  I  will  lay  others  like  you,  in  the  building  up  of 
my  church."  This  interpretation  concedes  Peter's  primacy,  but 
denies  him  any  supremacy.  The  truth  about  Peter's  position  in 
the  church  is,  (i)  he  was  the  leader  among  the  apostles,  (a)  in 
Christ's  time,  (b)  in  the  founding  of  the  Church,  (c)  in  the  in- 
auguration and  defense  of  Gentile  missions.  (2)  This  primacy 
was  personal,  not  official;  he  was  a  born  leader;  (3)  the  power  of 
the  keys  (which  Rome  says  implies  official  headship)  was  later 
given  to  all  the  apostles,  and  to  any  congregation  (Jno.  20:23; 
Matt.  18:17);  (4)  According  to  Gal.  2 : 9  he  was  only  one  of 
the  "three  pillars."  (5)  He  was  not  the  founder  of  the  Church 
at  Rome,  except  perhaps  very  indirectly  through  Roman  converts 
at  Pentecost  (Acts  2:10),  (6)  He  was  never  bishop  of  Rome; 
(7)  Consequently  the  pope  is  not  his  successor;  (8)  but  even  if 
he  were,  Jesus  dealt  here  with  Peter's  person.  Everything  that  is 
awarded  to  him  rests  on  a  personal  act  of  faith,  and  therefore 
cannot  be  mechanically  and  legally  transferred  to  other  persons, 
especially  not  to  popes,  many  of  whom  were  worldly-minded  men. 
(9)  The  legitimate  successors  of  Peter  are  the  believers  in  Christ's 
Deity.  9.  Hades,  from  the  Greek  "a"  privative — not — and  "idein," 
to  see,  hence  the  unseen  and  therefore  unknown  land.  It  is  a 
translation  of  the  Hebrew  "Sheol,"  the  underground  abode  of  the 
dead.  In  Old  Testament  times  this  was  held  to  be  a  place  of  gloom 
and  wretchedness.  In  the  time  of  Jesus  it  v/as  regarded  as 
divided  into  two  portions,  "Paradise"  (Lu.  23:43),  or  "Abraham's 
bosom"  (Lu.  16:22),  where  the  blessed  enjoy  great  felicity,  and 
"Gehenna,"  where  the  wicked  suffer  inconceivable  torments  (Lu. 
16:23).  Between  the  two  there  was  an  impassable  gulf  (Lu. 
16:26).  10.  The  Gates  of  Hades.  Two  interpretations:  (i) 
Hades  is  the  world  of  the  dead  whose  gates  imprison  all  mankind. 
This  power  to  destroy  life  shall  not  overpower  the  Church;  she 
will  remain  forever.  (2)  "Gates"  refers  to  the  Oriental  custom  of 
holding  counsel  at  the  city  gates  ("The  Porte")  ;  hence  the  coun- 
sels of  destruction  shall  not  avail  against  my  church."  The  trans- 
lation "hell,"  meaning  the  place  of  the  wicked,  and  the  interpreta- 
tion, "Satan  shall  not  destroy  the  Church"  are  exegetically  wrong, 
although  containing  a  general  truth  taught  in  other  places.  11. 
By  "the  keys  of  the  kingdom"  is  meant  the  authority  to  teach   the 


164  Life  of  Christ. 

conditions  on  which  men  are  admitted  to  the  kingdom,  as  Petei 
did  on  the  day  of  Pentecost;  by  binding  and  loosing  is  meant  the 
power  to  declare  what  is  right  and  what  is  wrong,  as  Peter  did  on 
many  occasions;  Peter  enjoyed  these  powers  in  common  with  the 
other  Apostles.  12.  Key  was  an  oriental  symbol  of  authority. 
Peter  was  to  open  the  treasure  of  divine  truth  and  the  kingdom 
of  God,  as  a  key  opens  a  palace.  Beyschlag  says :  "To  bind  is 
to  declare  anything  to  be  either  obligatory  or  forbidden ;  to  loose 
is  to  declare  anything  to  be  not  obligatory."  The  purport  of  this 
figurative  utterance  is  that  the  church,  as  the  representative  of 
Christ, — but  only  in  so  far  as  she  does  represent  Him, — is  the  norm 
of  truth  in  the  world  (i  Tim.  3:  15).  This  binding  and  loosing  is 
to  be  done  by  means  of  preaching  and  church  discipline.  Crafty 
priests  have  perverted  also  this  saying  into  the  authority  to  con- 
trol the  powers  of  the  unseen  world  and  to  lord  it  over  God's 
people. 

263.  I.  After  the  confession  of  the  Twelve  the  Lord  considered 
them  prepared  to  be  led  into  the  deep  mystery  of  the  suffering 
of  the  ATessiah.  Having  grasped  the  one  truth  (the  Deity  of 
Jesus),  they  must  begin  to  learn  the  other — the  necessity  of  the 
Atonement  and  the  Resurrection.  2.  Christ's  teaching  assumes  a 
new  character.  This  is  the  first  of  the  three  clear  announcements 
of  Christ's  death.  For  previous  allusions  to  his  death  in  figurative 
language,  see  Jno.  2:  19  (Destruction  of  the  tcm.ple  of  his  body); 
Jno.  3:  14  (lifting  up  of  the  Son  of  Man)  ;  Mark  2:  20  (Removal  of 
the  bridegroom);  Jno.  6:5  (Giving  his  flesh  for  the  life  of  the 
world).  He  foretells  not  only  the  fact  but  also  the  agents,  form 
place  and  issue  of  his  death.  3.  Peter,  although  intensely  loyal, 
was  still  ignorant.  He  could  not  yet  associate  death  with  his  Mes- 
siah. Therefore  from  this  time  forward  Jesus  spoke  with  his 
disciples  again  and  again  concerning  his  death.  See  Mark  9:30- 
2,2;  10:32-34.  4.  Every  time  that  Jesus  announced  his  death  he 
also  announced  his  resurrection.  For  previous  references  to  his 
resurrection  see  Jno.  2:19  (Destroy  this  temple,  etc.);  Luke  li: 
30  (the  sign  of  Jonah)-  5-  In  Matt.  16:23  Jesus  meant  to  say  that 
Peter's  words  were  a  temptation  to  Him  to  try  to  save  His  life  by 
not  doing  His  duty,  just  as  Satan's  words  were  at  the  time  of  the 
temptation  in  the  wilderness  (Matt.  4:10).  6.  The  clause  "till 
they  see  the  kingdom  of  God"  (Matt.  16:28)  may  refer  to  (i) 
the  transfiguration  which  was  a  temporary  glory;  (2)  the  resur- 
rection; (3)  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  (4)  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem;  (5)  the  guarantee  that  the  Jewish  race  will  con- 
tinue till  the  Second  Advent.  7.  According  to  tradition  the  trans- 
figuration took  place  en  Mt.  Tabor,  a  few  miles   from   Nazareth, 


Life  of  Christ.  165 

1400  feet  above  the  plain.  Others  determine  on  Mt.  Hermon,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Caesarea  Philippi.  This  latter  view  is  confirmed 
by  Mark  9:30-32.  From  the  mountain  of  transfiguration  Jesus 
went  "through  Galilee"  to  Capernaum,  but  a  journey  from  Mt. 
Tabor  would  not  have  taken  him  through  Galilee.  Moreover,  the 
top  of  Mt.  Tabor  was  probably  fortified  at  this  time.  8.  Luke 
speaks  indefinitely  of  "about  eight  days,"  including  the  day  on 
which  Christ  foretold  his  death  and  the  day  on  which  the  trans- 
figuration occurred.  Matthew  and  Mark  speak  more  definitely 
of  six  days,  excluding  from  their  reckoning  these  two  days.  9. 
Light  is  shed  on  the  interpretation  of  the  transfiguration  by  the 
fact  that  it  followed  Christ's  first  explicit  announcement  of  his 
death  and  his  return  in  glory,  a  thought  which  greatly  perplexed 
the  disciples.  The  transfiguration  taught  the  disciples:  (i)  That 
the  death  of  the  Messiah  was  a  part  of  the  Old  Testament  con- 
ception of  the  Messiah.  (2)  His  temporary  glory  served  as  a 
pledge  of  the  fulfillment  of  his  recent  words  about  entering  into 
his  glory  through  death.  (3)  The  voice  was  a  new  confirmation 
of  the  Messiahship  and  Sonship  of  Jesus  (2  Peter  1:17  and  18). 
The  meaning  of  the  transfiguration  for  Jesus :  (a)  a  foretaste  of 
the  glory  as  a  reward  after  His  suff^erings  (Phil.  2:5-11);  (b) 
assurance  that  the  mystery  of  the  cross  was  understood  by  the 
saints  in  heaven;  (c)  the  approving  voice  of  the  Father.  10.  The 
disciples  thought  that  Elijah's  appearance  on  the  mountain  was  the 
fulfillment  of  Malachi  4:  5,  and  they  expressed  surprise  that  he  had 
not  come  before  the  advent  of  Christ.  Jesus  corrected  this  mis- 
apprehension, telling  them  that  the  Elijah  of  whom  they  were  think- 
ing had  already  come  in  the  Baptist.  Because  the  people  had  hin- 
dered him  from  restoring  all  things,  the  other  Scriptures  regarding 
the  suffering  of  the  Son  of  man  would  now  be  fulfilled.  11.  Why 
"tell  no  man?"  The  report  of  his  Transfiguration  would  have 
aroused  false  hopes.  After  his  resurrection  these  reports  will  help 
the  truth.  12.  John  does  not  mention  the  Transfiguration.  His 
counterpart   is   given  Jno.    12 :  23-41. 

264.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Popular  opinion  about  Christ  may 
be  interesting,  but  personal  convictions  are  vital.  2.  The  Christian 
church  is  not  built  on  creeds  but  on  men  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.  3.  The  most  momentous  question  that  confronts  every 
man  is  what  he  thinks  about  Christ.  4.  Take  care  of  your  char- 
acter and  your  reputation  will  take  care  of  itself  (Mk.  7:  15).  The 
relation  is  that  of  the  substance  to  the  shadow.  5.  Obedience  to 
God  is  better  than  popularity.  6.  To  deny  ourselves  means  to 
say  no  to  our  inclinations.  7.  It  is  good  to  be  in  the  clear  atmos- 
phere of  God's  nearness  and  away  from  the  misery,  unbelief  and 


1 66  Life  of  Christ. 

trouble  of  the  world.  8.  The  presence  of  Moses  and  Elijah  is  a 
proof  of  the  conscious,  intelligent  and  useful  life  of  believers 
after  death. 

265.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  35,  36;  Andrews,  351; 
on  Caesarea  Philippi,  Mt.  Tabor  and  J^ermon,  see  B.  D. ;  Jos.  Jew- 
ish war,  4,  I,  8;  Stanly,  Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  392.  Raphael's 
famous  painting  in  Rome,  "The  Transfiguration."  On  the  "Rock" 
and  "Kej's"  see  Pinnock's  Christ  our  King;  Gunsaulus,  "The  Trans- 
figuration;" Smith's  Hist.  Geog.  of  Pal.;  Rhees,  The  Life  of  Jesus, 
155-160.  On  Hades,  see  Piercy,  D.  B.,  p.  340;  Hast.  D.  of  C. 
I,  713;  Schluesselgewalt,  Herzog,  Vol.  13;  Davis  on  "hell,"  p.  286; 
on  "church,"  p.   135. 

266.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Did  Peter  prove  a  rock 
in  the  High  Priest's  palace  and  at  Antioch  (Gal.  2)  ?  2.  If  not, 
was  Christ's  estimate  of  him  erroneous?  3.  How  did  Peter  reach 
his  conviction?  4.  What  question  did  the  appearance  of  Elijah 
suggest  to  the  disciples?  5.  How  does  Peter's  confession  resem- 
ble Andrew's  in  Jno.  1:41,  and  how  does  it  differ?  6.  What  was 
the  central  and  permanent  element  in  the  disciples'  faith  in  Jesus? 


CHAPTER  31. 

Journey  from  the  Transfiguration  to  Capernaum. 

Matt.   17:14-18:35;  Mk.  9:14-50;  Luke  9:37-49.     Har- 
mony 78-81. 

267.  The  Demoniac  Boy.  (i)  When,  on  the  next  day, 
Jesus  and  the  three  disciples  came  down  from  Mt.  Hermon 
to  the  other  nine  disciples,  they  saw  a  great  multitude  about 
them,  and  scribes,  questioning  them.  (2)  The  multitude 
when  they  saw  him,  were  greatly  amazed,  and  running  to 
him  saluted  him.  (3)  He  asked  them,  What  question  ye 
with  them  ?  There  came  a  man,  kneeling  to  him,  and  say- 
ing, Lord,  have  mercy  on  my  son ;  for  he  is  epileptic  and 
suffereth  grievously ;  for  ofttimes  he  f alleth  into  the  fire  and 
ofttimes  into  the  water.  And  I  brought  him  to  thy  disciples 
and  they  could  not  cure  him.  (4)  Jesus  said,  All  things  are 
possible  to  him  that  believeth.     The  father  said,  I  believe. 


Life  of  Christ.  167 

help  thou  mine  unbelief.  (5)  Jesus  said,  O  faithless  and 
perverse  generation,  how  long  shall  I  bear  with  you  ?  Bring 
him  hither.  Jesus  rebuked  him,  and  the  demon  went  out 
of  him,  and  the  boy  was  cured.  (6)  Then  the  disciples 
said,  Why  could  not  we  cast  it  out?  He  saith,  Because  of 
your  little  faith.  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed,  ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain,  Remove  hence  to 
yonder  place  and  it  shall  remove ;  and  nothing  shall  be  im- 
possible unto  you. 

268.  Christ's  Second  Announcement  of  His  Death. 
( I )  Leaving  Mt.  Hermon  they  passed  through  Galilee ;  and 
he  would  not  that  any  man  should  know  it.  (2)  For  he 
taught  his  disciples,  Let  these  words  sink  into  your  ears. 
The  Son  of  man  shall  be  delivered  up  into  the  hands  of  men, 
and  they  shall  kill  him;  and  after  three  days  he  shall  rise 
again.  (3)  But  they  understood  not  the  saying  and  were 
exceeding  sorry  and  afraid  to  ask  him. 

269.  The  Shekel  in  the  Fish's  Mouth,  (i)  When  they 
were  first  come  to  Capernaum,  they  that  received  the  half 
shekel  temple  tax  asked  Peter,  Doth  not  your  teacher  pay 
the  half  shekel?  He  saith.  Yea.  (2)  When  he  came  into  the 
house,  Jesus  spake  to  him.  What  thinkest  thou,  Simon,  from 
whom  do  the  kings  of  the  earth  receive  tribute?  From  their 
sons  or  from  strangers  ?  (3)  When  he  said  from  strangers, 
Jesus  said.  Therefore  the  sons  are  free.  But,  lest  we  cause 
them  to  stumble,  go  thou  to  the  sea  and  cast  a  hook,  and  take 
the  fish  that  first  cometh  up ;  and  when  thou  hast  opened  his 
mouth,  thou  shalt  find  a  shekel;  that  take,  and  give  unto 
them  for  me  and  thee. 

270.  Discourse  on  Humility,  (i)  On  the  way  from 
Mt.  Hermon  the  disciples  had  been  reasoning  as  to  who  was 
the  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  (2)  When  they 
had  reached  the  house,  Jesus  asked,  what  were  ye  reason- 
ing in  the  way?  But  they  held  their  peace.  (3)  Then  he 
set  a  little  child  in  the  midst  of  them  and  said.  Except  ye 
become  as  little  children,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.     (4)  Whosoever  shall  humble  himself, 


i68  Life  of  Christ. 

as  this  little  child,  the  same  is  the  greatest  in  the  kingdom 
of  heaven. 

271.  Occasions  of  Stumbling,  (i)  Whoso  shall  re- 
ceive one  such  little  child  in  my  name  receiveth  me ;  but 
whoso  shall  cause  one  of  these  little  ones  that  believe  on  me 
to  stumble,  it  is  profitable  for  him  that  a  great  millstone 
should  be  hanged  about  his  neck  and  that  he  should  be  sunk 
in  the  depth  of  the  sea.  (2)  Woe  unto  the  world  because 
of  occasions  of  stumbling;  for  it  must  needs  be  that  the 
occasions  come ;  but  woe  to  that  man  through  whom  the 
occasion  cometh !  (3)  If  thy  hand  or  thy  foot  causeth  thee 
to  stumble,  cut  it  off,  and  cast  it  from  thee;  it  is  good  for 
thee  to  enter  into  life  maimed  or  halt,  rather  than  having 
two  hands  or  two  feet  to  be  cast  into  eternal  fire.  If  thine 
eye  causeth  thee  to  stumble,  pluck  it  out  and  cast  it  from 
thee;  it  is  good  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  with  one  eye, 
rather  than  having  two  eyes  to  be  cast  into  the  hell  of  fire. 
(4)  See  that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones;  for  I 
say  unto  you,  that  in  Heaven  their  angels  do  always  behold 
the  face  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

272.  Co-operation.  John  said.  Master,  we  saw  one  cast- 
ing out  demons  in  thy  name;  and  we  forbade  him,  because 
he  followeth  not  with  us.  But  Jesus  said.  Forbid  him  not, 
for  he  who  is  not  against  us,  is  for  us. 

273.  Brotherly  Discipline.  (i)  If  thy  brother  sin 
against  thee,  show  him  his  fault  between  thee  and  him  alone. 
If  he  hear  thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy  brother.  But  if  he 
hear  thee  not,  take  with  thee  one  or  two  more,  that  at  the 
mouth  of  two  witnesses  or  three,  every  word  may  be  estab- 
lished. If  he  refuses  to  hear  them,  tell  it  unto  the  church. 
If  he  refuses  to  hear  the  church,  let  him  be  unto  thee  as  the 
Gentile  and  the  publican.  (2)  What  things  ye  shall  bind 
on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven ;  and  what  things  ye  shall 
loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven.  (3)  If  two  of 
you  shall  agree  on  earth  as  touching  anything  that  they  shall 
ask,  it  shall  be  done  for  them  of  my  Father  who  is   in 


Life  of  Christ.  169 

heaven.     For  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in 
my  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them. 

274.  The  Duty  of  Forgiveness,  (i)  Then  said  Peter, 
Lord,  how  oft  shall  my  brother  sin  against  me,  and  I  for- 
give him  ?  Until  seven  times  ?  Jesus  saith,  until  seventy 
times  seven.  To  enforce  this  precept,  Christ  spoke  the 
Parable  of  the  Unmerciful  Servant.     (Matt.  18:22-35). 

275.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources, 
especially  the  variations  in  Matt.  18:1  and  Mk.  9:33,  and  as  to 
the  time  of  the  transfiguration;  locate  places;  trace  the  Lord's  move- 
ments; memorize  Matt.  18:20.  2.  From  the  Mount  of  Transfigura- 
tion Jesus  passed  through  Galilee  as  secretly  as  possible  (Mark  9: 
30)  because  his  object  was  no  longer  to  teach  the  multitudes  who 
had  been  seduced  into  rejecting  him  and  among  whom  he  could 
hardly  appear  in  safety.  3.  The  collectors  of  the  half-shekel  must 
not  be  confounded  with  the  publicans  who  collected  money  for  the 
government.  The  tax  demanded  here  was  the  temple  tax  (about 
30  cents)  which  every  Jew  above  the  age  of  20  was  obliged  to 
pay  yearly  (Ex.  30:13).  This  incident  is  illustrative  of  the  atti- 
tude of  Jesus  towards  the  laws  of  the  land.  4.  The  form  of  the 
question  implies  that  this  tax  was  then  overdue  and  it  is  possible, 
as  Edersheim  holds,  that  it  was  the  tax  for  the  last  passover 
which  Jesus  did  not  attend.  Having  also  been  absent  from  Caper- 
naum for  some  time,  the  payment  had  been  delayed.  5.  The  words 
that  the  son  of  a  king  is  not  taxed  to  support  the  king's  house, 
echoes  the  consciousness  of  one  who  knew  that  he  was  "the  Son" 
and  greater  than  the  temple.  He  paid  the  tax,  but  he  put  the  pay- 
ment on  the  ground  that  he  would  not  give  offense  by  causing  them 
to  regard  him  as  opposed  to  the  temple  service.  The  point  of  the 
question  evidently  is  that  by  reason  of  his  unique  relation  to  the 
kingdom  of  God,  he  is  by  right  free  from  paying  the  tax.  6. 
Some  regard  the  expression  "a  shekel  in  the  fish's  mouth"  as  an 
Oriental  expression  for  the  value  in  money  of  the  fish  caught.  Yet 
the  evident  intent  is  to  report  a  miracle.  7.  The  belief  that  the 
long  hoped  for  manifestation  of  the  kingdom  was  approaching  and 
the  preference  twice  given  to  the  three  disciples  may  have  occa- 
sioned the  dispute  about  rank.  8.  This  address  shows  incidentally 
Christ's  estimate  of  childhood,  setting  them  up  as  teachers  and 
showing  the  preciousness  of  the  child-soul  by  telling  them  that  the 
angels  of  children  were  especially  near  to  God.  9.  The  story  of 
the  unknown  man  casting  out  demons  in  the  name  of  Jesus  belongs 
to  the  brighter  side  of  the  Galilean  work,  for  it  shows  that  there 


I70  Life  of  Christ. 

were  here  and  there  souls  which  had  been  profoundly  influenced  by 
the  name  of  Jesus  and  which  had  become  active  in  good  works. 

276.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Here  the  Lord  illustrates  a  fixed 
principle  of  all  reform,  viz.  the  avoidance  of  actions  which  are  not 
absolutely  essential  for  the  success  of  the  reform  and  which,  be- 
cause easily  misunderstood  and  thus  arousing  prejudice,  would 
make  it  more  difficult  for  others  to  join  in  the  good  movement. 
2.  The  subjects  of  Christ's  kingdom  must  be  trustful,  humble  and 
unambitious,  and  these  are  the  elements  of  true  greatness.  3.  Many 
church  troubles  would  be  nipped  in  the  bud,  if  Matt.  18:15-17 
would  be  observed.  4.  Sins  once  forgiven  return  unto  the  sinner 
through  his  after  offenses,  because  all  forgiveness  is  based  on  the 
condition  that  the  pardoned  man  continues  in  that  state  of  grace 
into  which  pardon  has  brought  him.  This  condition  is  not  arbitrarily 
imposed  from  without,  but  belongs  to  the  very  essence  of  salva- 
tion itself.  A  man  rescued  from  the  raging  sea  is  safe  on  con- 
dition that  he  does  not  again  cast  himself  into  that  water  (Jno. 
5:6;  I  Jno.  1:7).  5.  The  remembrance  of  the  number  and  magni- 
tude of  our  sins  should  keep  us  humble. 

277.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  37,  38;  Andrews,  360.  Con- 
sult D.  of  the  Bible.  Trench,  Dod  and  Spurgeon  on  the  parable; 
C.  R.  Robinson,  The  Childlike  Spirit.  There  are  many  famous 
paintings  of  Christ  and  the  Child ;  Davis,  D.  B.  on  the  "disciples," 
p.  171. 

278.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Suggest  modern  applications 
of  the  lesson,  in  Matt.  17:19-20.  2.  What  is  the  force  of  Jesus' 
argument  respecting  the  temple  tax?  3.  As  a  reformer  did  Jesus 
always  begin  with  the  destruction  of  abuses?  4.  Did  he  do  so 
quite  often  ?  5.  State  some  of  the  beautiful  elements  of  the  child 
nature  which  makes  it  the  type  of  a  disciple  of  Christ?  6.  What 
is  meant  by  "having  salt  in  one's  self"  (Mk.  9:50)?  7.  Where 
does  the  power  of  church  discipline  reside?  8.  Show  how  Jesus' 
example  illustrates  his  teaching  as  to  forgiveness. 


Life  of  Christ.  171 

CHAPTER  32. 

Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  in  Jerusalem. 

Jno.  7:  1-8.:  59.     Harmony  82-85. 

279.  Conversation  with  His  Brethren,  (i)  For  about 
eighteen  months  (April,  A.  D.  28  to  October,  A.  D.  29), 
Jesus  had  not  been  in  Judea  because  the  Jews  sought  to  kill 
him  (Jno.  5:  17).  (2)  When  the  Feast  of  the  Tabernacles 
was  at  hand  (Oct.,  11-18,  A.  D.  29),  his  brethren  said  unto 
him :  Go  into  Judea,  that  thy  disciples  there  also  may  be- 
hold thy  works.  For  no  man  doeth  his  works  in  secret, 
when  he  seeketh  to  be  known  openly.  Manifest  thyself  to 
the  world.  (3)  For  even  his  brethren  did  not  believe  on 
him.  (4)  Jesus  saith.  My  time  is  not  yet  come;  but  your 
time  is  always  ready.     Go  ye  up  unto  the  feast ;  I  go  not  up. 

280.  The  Secret  Journey.  (i)  When  his  brethren 
were  gone,  then  went  he  also,  but  in  secret,  probably  to 
avoid  premature  arrest.  (2)  The  Jews  sought  Jesus  at 
the  feast.  (3)  Some  said,  He  is  a  good  man;  others  said: 
Not  so,  for  he  leadeth  the  multitude  astray.  Yet  no  man 
spake  openly  of  him  for  fear  of  the  Jews. 

281.  Arrival  and  Discourse  about  the  Sabbath,  (i) 
In  the  midst  of  the  feast  (about  Oct.  14,  A.  D.  29),  Jesus 
taught  in  the  Temple.  (2)  The  Jews  marvelled,  and  said, 
How  knoweth  this  man  letters,  having  never  learned?  (3) 
Jesus  said.  My  teaching  is  not  mine  but  His  that  sent  me. 
If  any  man  willeth  to  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  teach- 
ing whether  it  is  of  God  or  whether  I  speak  from  myself. 
(4)  Why  seek  ye  to  kill  me?  The  multitude  answered. 
Thou  hast  a  demon:  who  seeketh  to  kill  thee?  (5)  Jesus 
said,  I  did  one  work,  (the  healing  of  the  infirm  man),  and 
ye  all  marvel.  If  a  man  receiveth  circumcision  on  the  Sab- 
bath (that  the  law  of  Moses  may  not  be  broken),  are  ye 
wroth  with  me,  because  I  made  a  man  every  whit  whole  on 
the  sabbath? 


172  Life  of  Christ. 

282.  Opinions  of  the  People,  ( i )  Some  of  the  people 
of  Jerusalem  said,  is  not  this  he  whom  they  seek  to  kill? 
And  lo,  he  speaketh  openly,  and  they  say  nothing  unto  him. 
Can  it  be  that  the  rulers  know  that  this  is  the  Christ?  -(2) 
Yet  we  know  this  man,  whence  he  is ;  but  when  the  Christ 
cometh  no  one  knoweth  whence  he  is.  Jesus  cried,  I  am 
not  come  of  myself,  but  he  that  sent  me  is  true,  whom  ye 
know  not.  (3)  Some  sought  to  take  him,  but  no  man  laid 
his  hand  on  him,  because  his  hour  was  not  yet  come.  (4) 
Many  believed  on  him,  and  said,  When  the  Christ  shall 
come,  will  he  do  more  signs  than  those  which  this  man 
hath  done?  (5)  The  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees  sent 
officers  to  take  him  and  carry  out  their  plan  made  eighteen 
months  ago  (Jno.  5:16),  to  kill  him.  Jesus  said,  Yet  a 
little  while  I  am  with  you,  and  then  I  go  unto  him  that  sent 
me.  (6)  The  Jews  said  will  he  go  unto  the  Dispersion 
among  the  Greeks,  and  teach  the  Greeks? 

283.  Discourse  on  the  Last  Day.  (i)  On  the  last 
day  (Oct.  18,  A.  D.  29),  the  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus 
cried,  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink. 
He  that  believeth  on  me  from  within  him  shall  flow  rivers 
of  living  waters.  (2)  This  spake  he  of  the  Spirit,  which 
they  that  believed  on  him  were  to  receive. 

284.  Effect  of  Christ's  Teaching  on  the  People,  (i) 
Some  said,  This  is  of  a  truth  the  prophet.  Others :  This  is 
the  Christ.  But  some  said.  Doth  the  Christ  come  out  of 
Galilee  ?  Hath  not  the  scripture  said  that  the  Christ  cometh 
of  the  seed  of  David?  (2)  On  the  officers  of  the  San- 
hedrin.  The  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  said  to  the  offi- 
cers, Why  did  ye  not  bring  him?  They  answered.  Never 
man  so  spake.  The  Pharisees  answered.  Are  ye  also  led 
astray?  Hath  any  of  the  rulers  believed  on  him?  But  this 
multitude  that  knoweth  not  the  law  are  accursed.  (3) 
Nicodenius  said,  Doth  our  law  judge  a  man  except  it  first 
hear  from  himself?  They  answered,  Art  thou  also  of  Gali- 
lee?    Search  and  see  that  out  of  Galilee  ariseth  no  prophet. 

285.  The  Woman  Taken  in  Adultery,     (i)  The  night 


Life  of  Christ.  173 

following  the  "last  day  of  the  feast"  Jesus  spent  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  probably  with  his  friends  at  Bethany. 
Early  in  the  morning,  he  came  into  the  temple  and  taught 
the  people.  (2)  The  scribes  and  Pharisees  bring  a  woman 
taken  in  adultery ;  and  say,  Teacher  this  woman  hath  been 
taken  in  adultery,  in  the  very  act.  Moses  commanded  us  to 
stone  such:  what  sayest  thou?  (3)  Jesus  wrote  on  the 
ground.  Then  he  said,  He  that  is  without  sin  among  you, 
let  him  first  cast  a  stone  at  her,  and  again  he  wrote  on  the 
ground.  (4)  They  went  out  and  Jesus  was  left  alone  with 
the  woman.  He  asked  her,  where  are  they?  Did  no  man 
condemn  thee?  She  said.  No.  Jesus  said,  neither  do  I  con- 
demn thee;  go  thy  way;  from  henceforth  sin  no  more. 

286.  Jesus  the  Light  of  the  World.  ( i )  Probably  on 
the  evening  of  the  great  illumination,  Jesus  stood  in  the 
treasury  and  said,  I  am  the  light  of  the  world;  he  that 
followeth  me  shall  not  walk  in  the  darkness,  but  shall  have 
the  light  of  life.  (2)  The  Pharisees  said.  Thou  bearest 
witness  of  thyself ;  thy  witness  is  not  true.  Jesus  answered, 
Even  if  I  bear  witness  of  myself,  my  witness  is  true;  for 
I  know  whence  I  came,  and  whither  I  go ;  but  ye  know  not. 
(3)  In  your  law  it  is  written,  that  the  witness  of  two  men 
is  true.  I  am  he  that  beareth  witness  of  myself  and  the 
Father  that  sent  me  beareth  witness  of  me.  (4)  They  said. 
Where  is  thy  Father?  Jesus  answered,  Ye  know  neither 
me,  nor  my  Father ;  if  ye  knew  me,  ye  would  know  my 
Father  also.  (5)  Predicting  his  death,  he  added,  I  go  away 
and  ye  shall  seek  me  and  shall  die  in  your  sin ;  whither  I 
go  ye  cannot  come.  The  Jews  said  "Will  he  kill  himself?'' 
(6)  Jesus  answered,  when  ye  have  lifted  up  the  Son  of  man, 
then  shall  ye  know  that  I  am  he,  and  that  I  do  nothing  of 
myself,  but  as  the  Father  taught  me.  (7)  As  he  spake 
these  things  many  believed  on  him. 

287.  Spiritual  Liberty,  (i)  Jesus  said  to  those  that  be- 
lieved him,  If  ye  abide  in  my  word,  then  are  ye  truly  my 
disciples,  and  ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall 
make  you  free.     (2)  They  answered,  We  are  Abraham's 


174  ^»"/^  of  Christ. 

seed,  and  have  never  yet  been  in  bondage  to  any  man.  (3) 
Jesus  said,  Every  one  that  committeth  sin  is  the  bondser- 
vant of  sin.  If  the  Son  shall  make  you  free,  ye  shall  be 
free  indeed.  (4)  If  ye  were  Abraham's  children,  ye  would 
do  the  works  of  Abraham.  But  now  ye  seek  to  kill  me. 
(5)  They  said,  We  have  one  Father,  even  God.  Jesus  said, 
If  God  were  your  Father,  ye  would  love  me ;  ye  arc  of  your 
father  the  devil  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  it  is  your  will 
to  do.  (6)  Which  of  you  convicteth  me  of  sin?  If  I  say 
truth,  why  do  ye  not  believe  me?  The  Jews  answered,  say 
we  not  well  that  thou  art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a  demon? 

(7)  Jesus  said.  If  a  man  keep  my  word,  he  shall  never  see 
death.  The  Jews  said.  Now  we  know  that  thou  hast  a 
demon.  Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Abraham,  who 
died?  and  the  prophets  died;  whom  makest  thou    thyself? 

(8)  Jesus  answered,  Abraham  rejoiced  to  see  my  day,  and 
he  saw  it  and  was  glad.  The  Jews  said.  Thou  art  not  yet 
fifty  years  old  and  hast  thou  seen  Abraham?  Jesus  said 
Before  Abraham  was  born,  I  am.  (9)  Then  they  took  up 
stones  to  cast  at  him;  but  Jesus  hid  himself  and  went  out 
of  the  temple. 

288.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  the  sources;  locate  places 
on  map  and  plan  of  the  temple;  memorize  Jno.  8:  12.  2.  The  Feast 
of  Tabernacles,  also  called  the  Feast  of  Ingathering,  was  celebrated 
seven  days  as  a  harvest  home  feast  and  also  in  memory  of  the  time 
when  the  Israelites  dwelled  in  booths  in  the  wilderness.  For  a 
description,  see  Ex.  23 :  16 ;  Lev.  23 :  34 ;  Deut.  16 :  13.  The  booths 
were  erected  in  the  streets,  outside  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  and  on 
the  roofs.  Four  hundred  and  twenty-four  priests  were  in  attend- 
ance and  there  were  brilliant  illuminations  at  night.  3.  The  Lord's 
brothers'  advice  was  in  effect,  "Do  not  stay  in  this  remote  province; 
go  to  the  center  of  the  theocracy."  It  confirms  the  fact  that  Jesus 
had  recently  avoided  publicity.  They  had  not  yet  true  faith  in 
him,  and  yet  they  seemed  to  have  regarded  him  as  equipped  with 
some  special  authority.  They  could  not  understand  his  conduct 
sharing  as  they  did  the  common  opinion  respecting  the  Messiah. 
Jerusalem  being  the  ecclesiastical  center,  their  advice  to  manifest 
himself  openly  was  friendly  rather  than  evil,  though  one  of  worldly 
wisdom.  4.  The  unbelief  of  Christ's  brethren  proves  decisively 
that  thc\-  were  not  his  cousins,   for   on   this  theory,  two  of  them 


Life  of  Christ.  ly^ 

(James  and  Jude)  were  also  apostles.  5.  What  John  records  is 
rather  the  controversy  growing  out  of  Christ's  teaching  than  the 
teaching  itself.  The  points  are  intensely  personal.  He  claims  a 
unique  knowledge  of  the  Father  (Jno.  7:16),  a  unique  mission 
from  the  Father  (Jno.  7:28),  and  a  unique  union  with  the  Father. 
His  teaching  on  this  occasion  is  urgent.  Jesus  called  for  immed- 
iate acceptance  of  His  Messiahship  on  the  ground  that  the  time  of 
his  being  with  them  was  short  (Jno.  7:33-36).  6.  On  the  last 
day  of  the  feast  the  priests,  amid  the  loud  hosannas  of  the  people, 
brought  water  in  a  golden  pitcher  from  the  pool  of  Siloam  into 
the  temple  and  poured  it  on  the  altar  in  commemoration  of  the 
smitten  rock  at  Horeb  (Ex.  7:  1-7).  It  was  this  ceremony,  doubt- 
less, which  occasioned  the  words  of  Jesus  in  Jno.  7 :  37.  7.  The 
assertion  in  Jno.  7 :  52  is  not  true,  for  at  least  two  prophets  had 
come  from  Galilee:  Jonah  of  Gath  and  Elijah  of  Thisbe;  perhaps 
also  Nahum  and  Hosea.  Their  contempt  for  Galilee  made  them 
lose  sight  of  historical  accuracy.  8.  The  incident  in  Jno.  7:  53 — 8:  i 
is  missing  in  all  important  manuscripts  and  can  not  have  been  in 
the  original  text  of  the  gospel.  But  its  early  insertion  into  the 
gospel  seems  to  prove  that  it  is  historical,  and  one  of  the  many 
incidents  unrecorded  by  any  evangelists  but  preserved  and  handed 
down  by  a  reliable  tradition  (cf.  e.  g.  the  word  of  Jesus  quoted  by 
Paul,  Acts  20:35).  Augustine  (died  430),  however,  considers  it 
a  part  of  the  original  gospel  and  accounts  for  its  later  omission 
from  the  fear  that  it  might  be  perverted  into  an  excuse  for  sin. 
9.  Lev.  20:  10  provides  death  as  the  penalty  of  adultery,  but  owing 
to  the  corrupt  morals  of  the  times,  divorce  was  generally  substi- 
tuted. The  snare  laid  for  Jesus  was  this:  If  he  declared  for  the 
law,  his  rigor  would  make  him  unpopular,  but  if  for  acquital,  they 
would  have  denounced  him  as  a  law  breaker.  Christ  saw  her 
penitence  and  mercy  triumphed  over  justice  (Jam.  2:13).  10. 
The  metaphor,  "I  am  the  Light  of  the  World,"  was  suggested  by 
the  2  or  4  great  candelabra  (75  feet  in  height)  which  stood  in 
the  court  of  the  women  and  which  were  lighted  every  night  in 
mem.ory  of  the  pillars  of  light  which  guided  the  Israelites  in  their 
40  years'  journey  through  the  wilderness.  On  at  least  one  night 
during  this  feast  the  temple  was  brilliantly  illuminated,  probably 
also  in  commemoration  of  the  pillar  of  fire  in  the  wilderness.  Ex. 
13:21,  22.  II.  As  the  Pharisees  had  charged  him  with  idle  self- 
glorification,  Christ  appealed  to  his  Father's  testimony  and  to  the 
self-authenticating  evidence  of  the  Light.  22.  On  the  treasury, 
see  II33  (4).  13.  According  to  Jno.  7:37  compared  with  Jno.  7:53 
the  discourses  on  the  Light  of  the  World  and  Spiritual  Freedom 
were  spoken  on  the  day  after  the  close  of  the  feast.  Hence,  if 
in  them  Christ  alluded  to  the  illumination  we  must  suppose  that 


176  Life  of  Christ. 

it  was  repeated  after  the  feast.  If,  however,  the  interpolated  in- 
cident of  the  adultress  is  eliminated,  both  discourses  may  be 
placed  on  the  "last  day"  (Jno.  7:37).  14.  The  word  "freedom," 
inspiring  to  every  man,  touched  especially  a  Jew's  innermost  heart. 
The  Lord,  however,  is  careful  to  explain  that  he  did  not  intend 
to  become  a  political  Messiah,  but  desired  to  lead  them  to  moral 
emancipation  through  the  truth  he  taught.  This  of  itself  would 
eventually  issue  in  political  freedom.  15.  Abraham  rejoiced  when 
he  received  the  promise  of  the  seed  (Gen.  15)  ;  he  saw  Christ's 
day,  when  God  informed  him  of  Christ's  birth.  16.  Jno.  8:58 
means  that  before  Abraham  was  born  Christ  existed.  Here  Jesus 
clearly  aflfirms  His  own  divinity  by  identifying  Himself  with  the 
"I  am"  or  Jehovah,  of  the  Old  Testament  (Ex.  3:14).  17.  "We 
have  never  yet  been  in  bondage"  sounded  strange  from  persons 
who  were  under  the  Roman  yoke.  Probably  they  meant,  "law- 
fully" or,  "with  our  consent." 

289.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Men  who  do  not  believe  in  Christ  are 
not  the  ones  to  give  advice  as  to  his,  or  his  followers'  conduct  (Jno. 
7:  5;  I  Cor.  2:  14).  2.  The  world  lies  in  the  darkness  of  ignorance, 
of  sin,  of  death ;  Christ  is  the  Light.  3.  Christ  compels  even  his 
enemies  to  bear  testimony  to  his  superlative  greatness.  (Jno.  7: 
46).  4.  Official  ecclesiastics  are  often  the  most  indifferent  to  the 
real  needs  of  the  people.  5.  Streams  of  holy  influence  go  forth 
from  many  Christians.  6.  To  be  unappreciated,  misunderstood, 
misrepresented  is  a  trial  that  falls  to  many   (Heb.  4:  15). 

290.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  39,  40;  Andrews,  p. 
347-350-  For  a  full  account  of  the  pouring  of  water,  see  Eder- 
sheim.  Life  of  Christ,  B.  IV,  Ch.  7;  vSchaff.  The  Person  of  Christ. 
Consult  D.  of  the  Bible.  Also  Hunt's  painting,  "Jesus  the  Light 
of  the  World." 

291.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  How  did  the  invitation  (Jno. 
7:37)  show  great  courage?  2.  Do  the  "rulers"  in  science,  art, 
commerce,  government  believe  on  Christ?  3.  Was  the  taunt  ad- 
dressed to  Nicodemus  true?  (2  Kings  14:25).  4.  Show  from  Is- 
rael's history  that  their  boast  in  Jno.  8:33  was  not  true.  5.  What 
are  the  marks  of  the  Devil's  sons?  (Jno.  8:44).  6.  How  could  the 
declaration  of  Jno.  8:56  be  true?  (Heb.  11  :  13).  7.  What  are  the 
various  arguments  used  by  the  Jews  at  this  time  in  favor  of  and 
against  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus?  8.  On  what  grounds  does  Jesus 
defend  his  trustworthiness.  9.  What  is  the  effect  of  truth?  (Jno. 
8:32).  10.  What  is  the  chief  reason  to-day  why  men  do  not  ap- 
preciate Jesus?  II.  What  is  the  best  way  to  gain  more  truth  than 
we  have  at  present?  (Jno.  7:  17).  12.  In  what  respects  is  Jesus  the 
Light  of  the  World  to-day? 


Second   Sub-division. 

The  Perean  Ministry 

From  the  Final  Departure  from  Galilee  to  Palm  Sunday,  Nov  , 
A.  D.  29-April  2,  A.  D.  30,  or  about  five  months. 

CHAPTER  33. 

The  Opening  of  the  Perean  Ministry. 

Matt.   19 :  1-2  ;  8 :  18-22  ;   1 1  :  20-28 ;  Mk.   10:1;  Lu.  9:51- 
10:37.     Harmony,  86-88. 

292.  Final  Departure  from  Galilee.  (i)  After  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles,  Jesus  returned  to  Galilee,  probably  to 
Capernaum,  for  a  short  time  (end  of  Oct.-Nov.,  A.  D.  29). 
(2)  When  the  days  were  well  nigh  come  that  he  should  be 
received  up,  he  steadfastly  set  his  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem, 
by  way  of  Perea.  (3)  He  sent  messengers  into  a  village  of 
the  Samaritans  to  make  ready  for  him.  And  they  did 
not  receive  him,  because  his  face  was  as  though  he  were 
going  to  Jerusalem.  (4)  James  and  John  said.  Lord,  wilt 
thou  that  we  bid  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven,  and  con- 
sume them  ?  But  he  rebuked  them.  And  they  went  to  an- 
other village. 

293.  Meeting  with  three  Men.  (i)  On  their  way  a 
scribe  said  to  Jesus,  /  ivill  folloiv  thee  whithersoever  thou 
goest.  And  Jesus  said,  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds 
have  nests ;  but  the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his 
head.  (2)  To  another  man  he  said,  Follow  me.  But  he 
said,  Lord,  suffer  me  first  to  go  and  bury  my  father.  But 
he  said,  Leave  the  dead  to  bury  their  own  dead ;  but  go  thou 
and  publish  the  kingdom  of  God.     (3)   Another  said,  I  will 

177 


178  Life  of  Christ. 

follow  thee,  Lord;  but  first  suffer  me  to  bid  farewell  to 
them  that  are  at  my  house.  But  Jesus  said :  No  man,  hav- 
ing put  his  hand  to  the  plow  and  looking  back,  its  fit  for 
the  kingdom  of  God. 

294.  The  Mission  of  the  Seventy,  (i)  Perea  was  the 
only  section  of  Palestine  which  had  not  been  evangelized. 
As  the  time  was  short,  Christ  appointed  seventy  disciples 
and  sent  them  two  and  two  into  every  place  whither  he  was 
to  come,  to  announce  him.  (2)  Reason:  He  said,  The  har- 
vest is  plenteous,  but  the  laborers  are  few :  pray  ye  there- 
fore the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  send  forth  laborers  into 
his  harvest.  (3)  Their  support:  Carry  no  purse,  no  wal- 
let, no  shoes ;  and  salute  no  man  on  the  way.  Into  what- 
soever house  ye  shall  enter,  first  say,  Peace  be  unto  this 
house.  In  that  same  house  remain,  eating  and  drinking 
such  things  as  they  give :  for  the  laborer  is  worthy  of  his 
hire.  Go  not  from  house  to  house.  (4)  Their  mission: 
Heal  the  sick,  and  say,  The  kingdom  of  God  is  come  nigh 
unto  you.  (5)  Treatment  of  opponents:  Whatever  city 
receive  you  not,  go  out  and  say.  Even  the  dust  from  your 
city,  we  wipe  off  against  you :  nevertheless  know  this,  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  come  nigh.  It  shall  be  more  toler- 
able in  that  day  for  Sodom,  than  for  that  city.  (6)  Woe 
to  the  rejecters:  Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin !  woe  unto  thee, 
Bethsaida !  for  if  the  mighty  works  had  been  done  in  Tyre 
and  Sidon,  which  were  done  in  you,  they  would  have  re- 
pented long  ago.  But  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre 
and  Sidon  in  the  judgment,  than  for  you.  And  thou,  Caper- 
naum, shalt  thou  be  exalted  unto  heaven?  thou  shalt  be 
brought  down  unto  Hades.  (7)  Their  authority:  He  that 
heareth  you  heareth  me ;  and  he  that  rejecteth  you  rejecteth 
me ;  and  he  that  rejecteth  me  rejecteth  him  that  sent  me, 
(8)  Return  and  Report:  They  returned  with  joy,  saying, 
Lord,  even  the  demons  are  subject  unto  us  in  thy  name. 
Jesus  said,  I  beheld  Satan  fallen  as  lightning  from  heaven. 
In  this  rejoice  not,  that  the  spirits  are  subject  unto  you; 
but  rejoice  that  your  names  are  written  in  heaven. 


Life  of  Christ.  179 

295.  A  Remarkable  Prayer,  (i)  Moved  by  the  suc- 
cess of  these  plain  men,  Jesus  rejoiced  in  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  said,  I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth,  that  thou  didst  hide  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
understanding,  and  didst  reveal  them  unto  babes.  (2)  All 
things  have  been  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father :  and  no 
one  knoweth  who  the  Son  is,  save  the  Father ;  and  who  the 
Father  is,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son 
willeth  to  reveal  him.  (3)  And  turning  to  the  disciples,  he 
said  privately.  Blessed  are  the  eyes  which  see  the  things 
that  ye  see:  for  I  say  unto  you,  that  many  prophets  and 
kings  desired  to  see  the  things  which  ye  see,  and  saw  them 
not ;  and  to  hear  the  things  which  ye  hear,  and  heard  them 
not.  (4)  And  to  the  people  he  said :  Come  unto  me,  all 
ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest. 
Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me ;  for  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart :  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls. 
For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light. 

296.  The  Good  Samaritan,  (i)  Somewhere  in  Perea, 
a  lawyer  made  trial  of  him,  saying.  Teacher,  what  shall  I 
do  to  inherit  eternal  life?  He  said:  What  is  written  in  the 
law?  The  lawyer  answered,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all 
thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind  ;  and  thy  neighbor  as  thy- 
self. (2)  Jesus  said,  Thou  hast  answered  right:  this  do 
and  thou  shalt  live.  (3)  But  he,  desiring  to  justify  himself, 
said :  Who  is  my  neighbor  ?  Jesus  made  answer  in  the 
words  of  the  Parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan. 

297.  Explanatory  Notes.  Name  and  compare  sources;  locate 
places;  trace  the  Lord's  movements;  memorize  Matt.  11:27-28. 
2.  Christ's  movements  during  this  period  were  as  follows:  After 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  the  Lord  left  Jerusalem  for  Galilee. 
After  a  brief  stay,  probably  at  Capernaum,  he  went  south  again. 
He  intended  to  travel  by  way  of  Samaria,  but  when  repulsed  he 
went  directly  to  Perea.  His  final  destination  was  Jerusalem  in 
order  to  be  present  at  the  feast  of  Dedication  (December  25), 
but  the  chief  scene  of  action  during  the  remaining  months  was 
Perea.     3.  During  this  period  he  made  three  journeys  to  Jerusalem, 


i8o  Life  of  Christ. 

(a)  to  the  feast  of  Dedication,  (b)  to  the  home  of  Lazarus,  (c) 
from  Ephraim.  4.  The  principal  source  for  this  period  is  Luke's 
gospel  whose  record  covers  ten  chapters,  from  9:51-19:23,  while 
Mark  has  but  one  chapter  (the  tenth)  and  Matthew  two  (19  and 
20).  5.  The  order  of  the  events  is  in  a  large  part  conjectural,  espec- 
ially as  Luke's  report  has  somewhat  the  appearance  of  being  a 
collection  of  events  and  teachings  largely  without  reference  to 
places  and  order.  6.  He  must  have  had  the  use  of  an  independent 
source  which  document  he  may  have  introduced  here  in  its  en- 
tirety, 7.  The  Perean  Ministry  was  a  repetition  of  the  Galilean 
ministry.  First  he  was  very  popular,  but  the  shadow  of  the  cross 
was  deepening.  The  rulers  in  Jerusalem  definitely  plot  his  death 
and  seek  a  convenient  season  for  the  execution  of  their  purpose. 
His  disciples  become  increasingly  aware  that  a  crisis  is  aproach- 
ing  and  are  torn  with  hopes  of  a  glorious  coronation  and  fear  of 
a  terrible  catastrophy.  9.  Note  the  Lord's  pedagogical  wisdom 
shown  in  his  treatment  of  the  three  would-be  disciples.  To  the 
first  who  was  in  danger  of  taking  impulsively  a  step  the  significance 
of  which  he  had  not  considered,  Jesus  points  out  the  cost  and 
seriousness  of  discipleship;  to  the  second,  its  paramount  claims; 
to  the  third,  the  danger  of  irresolution  and  the  need  of  prompt 
decisive  choice.  10.  Pollution  contracted  by  the  presence  of  a 
dead  body  lasted  seven  days    (Num.   19:11-12). 

298.  I.  These  seventy  were  probably  sent  out  from  Capernaum 
a  short  time  before  Christ's  final  departure  from  that  place.  2. 
The  pressure  arising  from  the  nearness  of  his  end  and  the  great 
amount  of  work  yet  to  be  done  may  have  led  to  the  sending  of  a 
second  group  of  helpers.  It  is  evident  that  Jesus  planned  quite  an 
extensive  evangelistic  tour,  intending  himself  to  visit  no  less  than 
35  tov/ns,  probably  more.  3.  That  Jesus  zvas  able  to  send  out 
seventy  trusted  followers  besides  the  Twelve  proves  that  the  Judean 
and  Galilean  ministries  could  not  have  been  so  barren  of  results 
as  they  are  sometimes  represented.  4.  The  number  may  have  been 
suggested  by  the  seventy  nations  into  which  the  Jews  divided  man- 
kind (Gen.  ch.  10)  or  the  70  members  of  the  Sanhedrin,  but  more 
likely  by  the  seventy  elders  appointed  to  help  Moses  (Num.  11:  16, 
17,  24,  25).  5.  The  Twelve  had  been  sent  out  to  assist  Jesus  in  His 
work;  the  Seventy  were  sent  to  prepare  the  way  for  his  own 
arrival,  so  that  there  should  be  no  needless  loss  of  time,  which 
at  the  best  was  short  for  the  great  work  that  remained  to  be  done. 
6.  As  the  work  of  the  two  missions  was  in  some  respects  similar, 
the  instructions  were  substantially  the  same  in  both  cases.  But 
note  that,  while  the  Twelve  were  forbidden  to  go  to  the  Gen- 
tiles or  to  the  Samaritans    (Malt.    10:5),  no  such  restriction  was 


Life  of  Christ.  i8i 

put  on  the  Seventy  whose  work  hiy  in  a  district  where  Gentiles 
were  numerous.  7.  After  the  feast  of  Dedication,  in  December, 
they  returned  to  him  at  that  place  on  the  Jordan  where  he  abode 
(Jno.  10:40),  viz.:  Bethabara  or  Bethany,  not  all  at  once,  but 
from  time  to  time,  as  their  itinerary  was  completed.  8.  The  yoke 
of  Christ  is  his  word  and  spirit.  The  figure  comes  from  the  Jews 
who  spoke  of  the  law  with  its  discipline  as  a  yoke  (Acts  15:10). 
0.  Babes  here  means  the  unlearned,  the  common  people,  like  his 
disciples,  contrasted  with  the  learned  proud  Pharisees.  10.  The 
lawyer  desires  to  put  Jesus  to  the  test  to  see  whether  he  will  not 
give  some  answer  to  the  law.     On  the  "lawyers"  see  '^2^. 

299.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  There  are  critical  periods  in  the 
life  of  men,  when  that  which  is  not  done  at  the  moment  will  never 
be  done.  2.  The  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan  teaches  that 
one's  neighbor  is  any  one  whom  it  is  within  our  power  to  help.  3. 
Truer  conceptions  of  the  gospel,  Christian  missions,  modern  science, 
the  newspaper,  commerce  and  foreign  travel  operate  powerfully  to 
give  a  world-wide  meaning  to  the  term  "neighbor."  4.  Race  pre- 
judice disappears  before  the  feeling  of  the  brotherhood  of  men 
and  sincere  piety.  Nativism  and  jingoism  are  survivals  of  bar- 
barity, when  a  foreigner  was  considered  by  the  Greeks  a  barbaros, 
and  by  the  Romans  an  enemy  (hostis — strangers  and  enemy).  5. 
In  America  the  "ignorant  foreigner"  is  often  used  as  a  scape- 
goat for  all  national  sins,  while  in  truth,  as  shown  by  official 
statistics,  he  compares  favorably  with  the  better  class  of  natives. 
6.  We  are  naturally  prejudiced  against  large  bodies  of  men,  on 
account  of  their  religion,  race,  color,  nationality,  business  and 
social  station.  This  is  against  the  first  elements  of  the  idea  of 
Christian  brotherhood.  7.  This  parable  abolishes  the  word  "for- 
eigner" and  transfigures  the  word  "neighbor,"  making  the  whole 
world  kin.  How  significant  are  the  modern  expressions  "inter- 
national law,"  "comity  of  nations,"  "world  congresses" — Christ 
teaches  us  to  pray  in  the  plural :  "our,  we,  us."  8.  The  finest 
virtues  are  often  found  where  least  expected.  9.  Philanthropy  is 
the  child  of  Christianity.  10.  Neighbor,  upon  Christ's  lips,  is 
sj^nonymous  with  "humanity." 

300.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  42,  43 ;  Andrews,  365- 
388;  Edersheim,  II,  135,  177,  226.  Trench  and  Spurgeon  on  the 
Parables ;  Davis  D.  B.  on  the  Samaritans,  p.  62,2,- 

301.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Is  the  number  70  signifi- 
cant? (Num.  11:24,  25);  Matt.  18:22).  2.  What  is  the  peculiar 
peril  of  success?  (Lu.  10:20).  3.  What  is  the  precise  thing  for 
which  Jesus  gives  thanks  in  Lu.  10:21?  4.  What  does  Jesus  say 
of  his  own   character  in  Matt.    11:29?     5.  Suggest  modern   appli- 


1 82  Life  of  Christ. 

cations  of  the  principle  contained  in  Matt.  11:20-24.  6.  What  prin- 
ciple is  implied  in  Lu.  10:  16?  7.  In  the  parable  of  the  Samaritan 
did  Jesus  make  use  of  a  real  occurrence? 

CHAPTER  34. 

Christ  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication  in  Jerusalem. 

Lu.  10:38-42;  Jno.  9:  1-10:42.     Harmony,  89-92. 

302.  Visit  to  Bethany,  (i)  On  his  way  to  Jerusalem 
(Dec,  A.  D.  29),  Jesus  visited  two  of  his  women  disciples  at 
Bethany,  Martha  and  her  sister  Mary.  (2)  The  latter  sat 
at  the  Lord's  feet  and  heard  his  word,  but  Martha  was  cum- 
bered about  much  serving.  (3)  She  said,  Lord,  dost  thou 
not  care  that  my  sister  did  leave  me  to  serve  alone?  bid  her 
that  she  help  me.  (4)  The  Lord  answered,  Martha,  Mar- 
tha, thou  art  anxious  and  troubled  about  many  things;  but 
one  thing  is  needful :  Mary  hath  chosen  the  good  part,  which 
shalt  not  be  taken  away  from  her. 

303.  Healing  of  the  Man  born  Blind,  (i)  Passing 
through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  he  saw  a  man  blind  from 
his  birth.  (2)  His  disciples  asked,  Rabbi,  who  sinned,  this 
man,  or  his  parents,  that  he  should  be  born  blind?  (3) 
Jesus  answered.  Neither  did  this  man  sin,  nor  his  parents: 
but  he  was  born  blind  that  the  works  of  God  should  be 
made  manifest  in  him.  (4)  He  spat  on  the  ground,  made 
clay,  anointed  his  eyes  and  said.  Go,  wash  in  the  pool  of 
Siloam.  He  did  so  and  came  seeing.  (5)  The  neighbors 
said,  is  not  this  he  that  sat  and  begged  ?  Some  said :  It  is 
he :  others  said,  No,  but  he  is  like  him.  He  said,  I  am  he. 
They  said.  How  then  were  thine  eyes  opened?  He  told 
them.  They  said.  Where  is  he?  He  saith,  I  know  not. 
(6)  Some  of  the  Pharisees  said.  This  man  is  not  from 
God,  because  he  keepeth  not  the  sabbath.  But  others  said, 
How  can  a  man  that  is  a  sinner  do  such  signs?  So  there 
was  a  division  among  them.     (7)  They  ask  the  man:  What 


Life  of  Christ.  183 

sayest  thou  of  him?     He  answered,  He  is  a  prophet.     (8) 
Then  the  Pharisees  asked  his  parents,  Is  this  your  son? 
They  answered,  This  is  our  son,  he  was  born  blind ;  but 
how  he  now  seeth  we  know  not;  or  who  opened  his  eyes, 
we  know  not;  ask  him;  he  is  of  age.      (9)   These  things 
said  his  parents,  because  they  feared  the  Jews :  for  they 
had  agreed  already,  that  if  any  man  should  confess  him  to 
be  Christ,  he  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue.     (10)  The 
Pharisees  said  to  the  man :  Give  glory  to  God :  we  know 
that  this  man  is  a  sinner.     He  answered.  Whether  he  is  a 
sinner,  I  know  not :  one  thing  I  know,  that,  whereas  I  was 
blind,  now  I  see.     (11)   They  said  unto  him.  How  opened 
he  thine  eyes?     He  answered,  I  told  you,  wherefore  would 
ye  hear  it  again  ?  would  ye   also  become  his  disciples  ?    They 
reviled  him.  Thou  art  his  disciple ;  but  we  are  disciples  of 
Moses.     We  know  that  God  hath  spoken  unto  Moses :  but 
as  for  this  man,  we  know  not  whence  he  is.     (12)  The 
man  answered.  Why,  herein  is  the  marvel,  that  ye  know 
not  whence  he  is,  and  yet  he  opened  mine  eyes.     We  know 
that  God  heareth  not  siimers.     Since  the  world  began  it 
was  never  heard  that  any    one  opened  the  eyes  of  a  man 
born  blind.     If  this  man  were  not  from  God,  he  could  do 
nothing.     (13)   They  answered,  Thou  wast  altogether  born 
in  sins,  and  dost  thou  teach  us?     And  they  cast  him  out. 
(14)  Jesus  heard  that  they  had  cast  him  out;  and  finding 
him,  he  said.  Dost  thou  believe  on  the  Son  of  God  ?     He  an- 
swered. Who  is  he.  Lord,  that  I  may  believe  on  him  ?     Jesus 
said,  He  it  is  that  speaketh  with  thee.     (15)   He  said,  Lord 
1  believe  and  worshipped  him.     (16)  Jesus  said,  For  judg- 
ment came  I  into  this  world,  that  they  that  see  not  may  see ; 
and  that  they  that  see  may  become  blind.    (17)  Those  of  the 
Pharisees  who  heard  these  things  said.  Are  we  also  blind? 
Jesus  said,  If  ye  were  blind,  ye  would  have  no  sin:  but  now 
ye  say,  We  see :  your  sin  remaineth. 

304.  The  Good  Shepherd.  ( i )  In  contrast  to  the  treat- 
ment accorded  to  the  blind  man  by  the  official  shepherds  of 
Israel,  Jesus  presents  himself  as  the  Good  Shepherd.     (2) 


184  Life  of  Christ. 

The  marks  of  the  good  sheplierd :  lie  that  entereth  in  by 
the  door  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep.  He  calleth  his  own 
sheep  by  name  and  leadeth  them  out.  He  goeth  before 
them  and  the  sheep  follow  him :  for  they  know  his  voice. 

(3)  Jesus  the  Door:  Jesus  said,  I  am  the  door  of  the  sheep. 
All  that  came  before  me  were  thieves  and  robbers ;  but  the 
sheep  did  not  hear  them.  By  me  if  any  enter  in  he  shall  be 
saved,  and  shall  go  in  and  go  out  and  shall  find  pasture. 

(4)  Jesus  the  good  shepherd.  I  am  the  good  shepherd. 
The  good  shepherd  layeth  down  his  life  for  his  sheep.  I 
know  mine  own  and  mine  own  know  me.  (5)  And  other 
sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold :  them  also  I  must 
bring  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice ;  and  they  shall  become 
one  flock  and  one  shepherd.  (6)  There  arose  a  division 
again  among  the  Jews  because  of  these  words.  Many  said 
he  hath  a  demon,  and  is  mad;  why  hear  ye  him?  Others 
said.  These  are  not  the  sayings  of  one  possessed  with  a 
demon.    Can  a  demon  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind  ? 

305.  Discourse  at  the  Feast  of  Dedicator,  (i)  When 
Jesus  was  walking  in  Solomon's  porch,  the  Jews  said,  How 
long  dost  thou  hold  us  in  suspense?  If  thou  art  the  Christ, 
tell  us  plainly.  (2)  Jesus  answered,  I  told  you,  and  ye  be- 
lieve not :  the  works  that  I  do  in  my  Father's  name,  bear 
witness  of  me.  I  and  the  Father  are  one.  (3)  The  Jews 
took  up  stones  but  Jesus  answered,  Many  good  works  have 
I  showed  you,  for  which  of  those  works  do  ye  stone  me? 
(4)  The  Jews  answered,  For  a  good  work  we  stone  thee 
not,  but  for  blasphemy ;  because  that  thou,  being  a  man, 
makest  thyself  God.  (5)  Jesus  answered,  Is  it  not  written 
in  your  law.  Ye  are  gods?  If  he  called  them  gods,  unto 
whom  the  word  of  God  came,  say  ye  of  him,  whom  the 
Father  sanctified  and  sent  into  the  world.  Thou  blasphem- 
est ;  because  I  said,  I  am  the  Son  of  (lod?  (6)  They 
sought  again  to  take  him :  but  he  went  forth  out  of  their 
hands  beyond  the  Jordan  into  the  place  where  John  was  at 
the  first  baptizing;  and  there  he  abode. 


Life  of  Christ.  185 

306.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  sources;  locate  places,  and 
trace  the  Lord's  movements;  memorize  Jno.  10:15.  2.  Bethany 
("House  of  Dates"),  the  suburb  of  Jerusalem,  was  located  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Mt.  of  Olives.  3.  This  is  the  first  mention  of  the 
greatly  beloved  (Jno.  il:S)  family  at  Bethany.  Probably  Jesus 
had  made  their  acquaintance  during  his  early  Jud?san  ministry. 
4.  Jesus  did  not  object  to  their  preparing  food  for  him,  but  he 
administered  a  gentle  rebuke  for  dishonoring  him  by  assuming 
that  he  cared  more  for  fine  food  than  for  the  joy  of  imparting 
truth  (Jno.  4:34).  5.  The  pool  of  Siloam,  still  existing  and 
known  as  "Ain  Silwan,"  is  situated  outside  the  city  walls  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  city.  Its  present  dimensions  are  18  feet 
from  west  to  east  by  55  feet  from  north  to  south,  and  25  feet  deep. 
It  was  formerly  much  larger.  It  is  fed  by  the  so-called  Virgin 
Fountain  through  a  tunnel  1760  feet  long.  6.  To  assist  the  mem- 
ory the  story  of  the  miracle  may  be  analyzed  as  follows :  The 
blind  man  and  (a)  the  disciples,  (b)  Jesus,  (c)  the  neighbors, 
(d)  the  Pharisees,  (e)  his  parents,  (f)  the  Pharisees  again,  (g) 
Jesus  again.  7.  This  miracle  is  biographically  important  in  several 
respects:  (a)  It  again  caused  a  division  among  the  people  and 
created  a  party  favorable  to  Jesus,  which  made  it  possible  for  him 
to  appear  in  public  again,  (b)  Stringent  ecclesiastical  action  (ex- 
communication) was  now  taken  against  any  one  who  should  accept 
Jesus,  (c)  This  extreme  measure  shows  that  the  rulers  considered 
Jesus  a  dangerous  enemy  even  in  Jerusalem,  the  center  and  strong- 
hold of  their  power,  (d)  Jesus  uses  means.  Saliva  and  clay  were 
supposed  to  have  medicinal  efifects.  By  using  them  Christ  helped 
the  blind  man  to  believe  that  he  would  be  cured.  8.  The  Talmud 
recognizes  two  kinds  of  excommunication,  the  minor  and  the  major. 
The  first  lasted  thirty  days  and  could  be  repeated.  It  did  not  ex- 
clude from  the  temple.  The  latter  excluded  from  the  temple,  the 
synagogue  and  all  association  with  the  faithful.  9.  The  discourse 
of  the  Good  Shepherd  grew  out  of  the  harsh  conduct  which  the 
blind  man  had  received  from  the  acknowledged  religious  leaders.  10. 
"Hireling"  means  one  who  is  a  religious  teacher  for  his  own 
profit,  not  for  the  good  he  can  do,  and  who  deserts  his  post  as 
soon  as  any  danger  or  "wolf"  appears.  11.  The  feast  of  Dedica- 
tion was  celebrated  for  eight  days  in  the  month.  "Chisleu"  from 
December  20-27.  Its  name  is  misleading  as  it  docs  not  refer  to  the 
dedication,  but  the  rededication  of  the  temple.  It  was  instituted 
by  Judas  Maccabeus  in  164  B.  C,  to  commemorate  (a)  the  national 
deliverance  by  the  Maccabees  from  Syrian  oppression,  (b)  the 
cleansing  of  the  temple,  (c)  the  restoration  of  the  appointed 
Jehovah  worship  after  Antiochus  Ephiphancs  had  polluted  the  tem- 


1 86  Life  of  Christ. 

pie  by  heathen  sacrifices.  12.  Solomon's  porch  is  the  colonnade 
on  the  east  side  of  the  temple.  See  map  of  temple.  13.  The  ques- 
tion "how  long  dost  thou  hold  us  in  suspense"  seems  to  be  an 
honest  seeking  after  the  truth  on  the  part  of  some  and  indicates 
that  his  mighty  works  had  induced  them  to  think  better  of  his 
Messianic  claims.  But  it  may  also  be  a  trap  to  get  from  him  a 
statement  which  would  alienate  the  sympathy  of  the  people  or  one 
which  would  enable  them  to  proceed  against  him  in  a  legal  manner. 
14,  Refcring  to  Ps.  82:6,  Jesus  argues:  If  the  title  "God"  is  some- 
times applied  even  to  unjust  judges,  because  they  represent  God, 
how  much  more  to  him  whose  works  prove  that  the  Father  was 
in  him.  15.  They  desisted  from  throwing  the  stones  which  they 
had  taken  up  probably  for  the  reason  that  there  were  present 
too  many  who  sympathized  with  Jesus.  16.  At  the  end  of  the  dis- 
course Jesus  left  the  city  a  fugitive,  and  went  to  Bethany  beyond 
the  Jordan  (Bethabara).  As  at  Nazareth  (Lu.  4:30)  and  at  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  (Jos.  8:  59),  Jesus  escaped  premature  death. 

307.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  The  two  types  of  piety,  receiving 
and  serving,  meditating  and  working,  are  still  with  us.  2.  Many 
things  are  desirable,  one  thing  is  needful.  3.  Thousands  have  laid 
down  their  lives  for  a  great  cause,  but  Jesus  only  had  power  "to 
take  it  up  again."  4.  Responsibility  is  proportionate  to  knowledge 
(Jno.  9:41). 

308.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  41,  45;  Andrews,  p. 
346;  on  the  Maccabees,  see  Davis,  D.  B.,  p.  445;  on  Antiochus 
Epiphanes,  p.  3;  on  excommunication,  see  Encycl.  Brit.  VIIL 


CHAPTER  35. 

Teaching  Concerning  Trust  in  God  and  the  Judgment. 

Lu.  II :  1-13:  30.     Harmony  93-98. 

309.  Discourse  on  Prayer,  (i)  At  a  certain  place  in 
Perea,  one  of  his  disciples  said,  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray,  even 
as  John  also  taught  his  disciples.  (2)  In  answer,  Jesus  re- 
peated the  Lord's  Prayer  in  an  abbreviated  form.  (3)  To 
encourage  them  to  persistency  in  prayer,  he  added  the  para- 
ble of  the  Importunate  Friend,  closing  with  the  application, 
Ask  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you :  seek,  and  ye  shall  find ; 
knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you. 


Life  of  Christ.  187 

310.  Woe  against  the  Pharisees,  (i)  Somewhere  in 
Perea,  a  Pharisee  asked  him  to  dine  with  him,  and  mar- 
veled that  he  had  not  first  bathed  before  dinner.  (2) 
The  Lord  said,  The  Pharisees  cleanse  the  outside  of  the 
Clip,  and  of  the  platter,  but  your  inward  part  is  full  of 
extortion  and  wickedness.  (3)  Woe  unto  you  Pharisees! 
for  ye  tithe  mint  and  rue  and  every  herb,  and  pass  over  jus- 
tice and  the  love  of  God :  but  these  ought  ye  to  have  done, 
and  not  to  leave  the  other  undone.  (4)  Ye  love  the  chief 
seats  in  the  synagogues,  and  the  salutations  in  the  market- 
places. (5)  Ye  are  as  the  tombs  which  appear  not,  and 
the  men  that  walk  over  them  know  it  not.  (6)  One  of 
the  lawyers  saith,  Teacher,  in  saying  this  thou  reproachest 
us  also.  (7)  And  he  said.  Woe  unto  you  lawyers  also!  for 
ye  load  men  with  burdens  grievous  to  be  borne,  and  ye  your- 
selves touch  not  the  burdens  with  one  of  your  fingers.  Ye 
build  the  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and  your  fathers  killed 
them.  (8)  The  blood  of  all  the  prophets,  which  was  shed 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  may  be  required  of  this 
generation ;  from  the  blood  of  Abel  unto  the  blood  of  Zach- 
ariah,  who  perished  between  the  altar  and  the  sanctuary. 

(9)  Ye  took  away  the  key  of  knowledge ;  ye  entered  not  in 
yourselves,  and  them  that  were  entering  in  ye  hindered. 

(10)  When  he  was  come  out  the  scribes  and  the  Pharisees 
began  to  press  upon  him  vehemently,  and  to  provoke  him 
to  speak,  laying  wait  for  him,  to  catch  something  out  of  his 
mouth. 

311.  Trust  in  God.  (i)  Christ's  popularity  was  great 
in  Perea.  (2)  At  this  time  many  thousands  were  gathered 
together,  insomuch  that  they  trod  one  upon  another.  (3) 
His  teaching  contained  many  truths  which  he  had  uttered 
on  other  occasions.  Some  of  these  gems  are  as  follows : 
Beware  ye  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  which  is  hypoc- 
risy. But  there  is  nothing  covered  up,  that  shall  not  be 
revealed ;  and  hid,  that  shall  not  be  known.  (4)  Be  not 
afraid  of  them  that  kill  the  body,  and  after  that  have  no 
more  that  they  can  do.     Fear  him,  who  after  he  hath  killed 


1 88  Life  of  Christ. 

liath  power  to  cast  into  hell.  F,veryone  who  shall  confess 
mc  before  men,  him  shall  the  Son  of  man  also  confess  be- 
fore the  angels  of  God. 

312.  "Warning  Against  Covetousness.  (i)  One  of  the 
multitude  said,  Teacher  bid  my  brother  divide  the  inherit- 
ance with  me.  Jesus  answered,  Man,  wdio  made  me  a 
judge  or  a  divider  over  you.  (2)  Keep  yourselves  from 
all  covetousness,  for  a  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the 
abundance  of  the  things  which  he  possesseth.  (3)  To  im- 
press this  lesson,  Jesus  spoke  the  parable  of  The  Rich  Fool. 
(4)  Evidently  to  still  more  impress  this  parable,  Christ  re- 
peated some  sayings  from  the  sermon  on  the  mount :  Be 
not  anxious  for  your  life;  consider  the  ravens  and  the  lilies; 
fear  not,  little  flock. 

313.  The  Steward's  Duty  in  his  Lord's  Absence,  (i) 
Let  your  loins  be  girded  about  and  your  lamps  burning,  and 
be  ye  yourselves  like  unto  men  looking  for  their  lord  when 
he  shall  return  from  the  marriage  feast.  (2)  Peter  said, 
Lord,  speakest  thou  this  parable  unto  us  or  unto  all?  The 
Lord  said,  Blessed  is  that  servant  whom  his  lord  when  he 
cometh  shall  find  faithful.  He  will  set  him  over  all  that 
he  hath.  (3)  But  that  servant,  who  knew  his  Lord's  will, 
and  did  not  according  to  his  will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many 
stripes. 

314.  Baptism  of  Fire  and  Christian  Prudence,  (i)  I 
came  to  cast  fire  upon  the  earth;  and  what  do  I  desire,  if 
it  is  already  kindled  ?  But  I  have  a  baptism,  to  be  baptized 
with;  and  how  am  I  straitened  till  it  be  accomplished?  (2) 
Think  ye  that  I  am  come  to  give  peace  upon  the  earth? 
Nay ;  but  rather  division :  They  shall  be  divided,  father 
against  son,  and  son  against  father ;  mother  against  daugh- 
ter, and  daughter  against  her  mother  ;  mother-in-law  against 
her  daughter-in-law,  and  daughter-in-law  against  her 
mother-in-law.  (3)  And  he  said  to  the  multitudes,  When 
ye  see  a  cloud  rising  in  the  west,  ye  say.  There  cometh  a 
shower ;  And  when  ye  see  a  south  wind  blowing,  ye  say, 
There   will  be  a   scorching  heat.     (4)  Ye  hypocrites,   ye 


Life  of  Christ.  189 

know  how  to  interpret  the  face  of  the  earth  and  the  heaven ; 
but  how  is  it  that  ye  know  not  how  to  interpret  this  time  ? 

315.  The  Galileans  slain  by  Pilate,  (i)  There  were 
some  present  who  told  him  of  the  Galileans  whom  Pilate 
had  killed  while  engaged  in  the  sacred  act  of  sacrificing. 
(2)  Jesus  answered,  Think  ye  that  these  Galileans  were 
sinners  above  all  the  Galileans,  because  they  have  suffered 
these  things  ?  I  tell  you,  Nay,  but  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall 
all  in  like  manner  perish.  (3)  Or  those  eighteen  upon 
whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell,  think  ye  that  they  were 
offenders  above  all  the  men  that  dwell  in  Jerusalem  ?  I  tell 
you,  Nay,  but  except  ye  repent  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish. 
(4)  To  illustrate  the  patience  of  God,  Jesus  added  the 
Parable  of  the  Fig  Tree. 

316.  The  Woman  healed  on  the  Sabbath,  (i)  When 
he  was  teaching  in  one  of  the  synagogues  on  the  sabbath, 
he  met  a  woman  that  had  a  spirit  of  infirmity  eighteen 
years.  (2)  Jesus  said.  Woman,  thou  art  loosed  from  thine 
infirmity,  and  immediately  she  was  made  straight  and  glori- 
fied God.  (3)  The  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  being  moved 
with  indignation  because  Jesus  had  healed  on  the  sabbath, 
said  to  the  multitude.  There  are  six  days  in  which  men 
ought  to  work ;  in  them  come  and  be  healed.  (4)  The 
Lord  said.  Ye  hypocrites,  doth  not  each  one  of  you  on  the 
sabbath  loose  his  ox  or  his  ass  from  the  stall,  and  lead  him 
to  watering?  Ought  not  this  woman,  whom  Satan  had 
bound  these  eighteen  years,  to  have  been  loosed  on  the  Sab- 
bath? (5)  And  all  his  adversaries  were  put  to  shame :  and 
all  the  multitude  rejoiced  for  all  the  glorious  things  that 
were  done  by  him. 

317.  Whether  Few  are  Saved,  (i)  As  he  was  teach- 
ing, a  man  asked  him :  Lord  are  there  few  that  are  saved  ? 
(2)  He  said,  Strive  to  enter  in  by  the  narrow  door;  for 
many  I  say  unto  you,  shall  seek  to  enter  in  and  shall  not  be 
able. 

318.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  sources;  locate  places  and 
trace  movements  of  the  Lord;  memorize  Lu.  11 :  9-  2.  It  is  difficult 
to   locate   particular   events   and   discourses   as   the   evangelists    do 


IQO  Life  of  Christ. 

not  mention  a  single  place  in  Perea  by  name,  excepting  the  allusion, 
Jno.  10:40.  3.  Either  Jesus  relocated  the  Lord's  Prayer  on  this 
occasion,  or,  for  the  purpose  of  unity  of  subject,  Luke,  in  his 
independent  document,  found  it  inserted  here  as  a  fitting  intro- 
duction to  the  parable  of  the  Importunate  Friend.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  other  thoughts  which  we  find  in  the  sermon  on  the  mount, 
in  the  commission  to  the  Twelve  and  in  the  discourse  on  mount 
Olivet.  4.  The  invitation  by  the  Pharisee  was  probably  given 
with  the  evil  intention  of  entrapping  him.  The  severity  of  Christ's 
words  against  Pharisaism  rather  than  against  individuals  present 
indicates  this.  5.  This  slaughter  and  the  violation  of  the  sanctity 
of  the  temple  may  have  happened  at  the  feast  of  Dedication  ob- 
served a  few  weeks  before.  It  may  have  caused  the  enmity  be- 
tween Pilate  and  Herod  (the  ruler  of  these  Galileans,  Luke  23: 
12),  or  it  may  have  been  the  effect  of  it.  Such  deeds  of  revolting 
atrocity  were  frequent  in  those  times.  6.  The  accident  at  Siloam 
may  possibly  have  happened  at  the  building  of  the  aqueduct  erected 
by  Pilate  from  funds  taken  from  the  temple  treasury.  (See  Jos. 
Jewish  War  Bk.  II,  ch.  9,  sec.  4).  7-  The  teaching  here  is  that 
exceptional  suffering  is  no  proof  of  exceptional  sinfulness  and  that 
the  long-suffering  of  God  should  lead  sinners  to  repentance. 

319.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Note  again  the  Lord's  pedagogical 
wisdo)n  in  giving  to  a  purely  speculative  and  useless  question  a 
practical  and  personal  turn.  2.  Luther  was  asked,  how  God  spent 
his  time  before  the  creation  and  answered.  He  sat  in  a  forest  and 
cut  sticks  to  punish  those  who  would  ask  such  foolish  questions. 
3.  Mere  consumers  without  returning  any  benefits  to  society  are 
worthless  parasites  whatever  their  wealth  and  social  rank  (Lu. 
12:  16).  4.  A  drowning  man  is  in  no  position  to  speculate  about 
the  peril  of  others:  his  own  salvation  is  paramount  (Lu.  13:22). 
5.  Divine  judgments  on  other  men  should  be  taken,  not  as  oppor- 
tunities to  impute  evil  to  them,  but  as  calls  to  personal  self-ex- 
amination and  repentance. 

320.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  44;  Andrews,  393; 
Trench  and  Dod  on  the  Parables ;  Land  and  Book,  II,  262 ;  Davis, 
D.  B.  on  Pilate,  p.  583. 

321.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Distinguish  between  con- 
scious and  unconscious  hypocrisy.  2.  Are  educated  people  to-day 
liable  to  the  same  charge  as  that  made  against  the  lawyers  in  Lu. 
11:52?  3.  Did  Jesus  commit  a  breach  of  etiquette  in  the  house 
where  he  was  a  guest?  4.  What  is  it  to  confess  Christ?  5.  What 
does  Jesus  teach  about  the  relation  of  suffering  and  sin?  6.  What 
will  God  do  with  nations  and  individuals  who  do  not  live  up  to 
their  privileges?  7.  Does  history  prove  him  right?  8.  What  the- 
ory of  disease  is  suggested  by  Lu.  13:  16? 


Life  of  Christ.  191 

CHAPTER  36. 

From  the  Warning  Against   Herod  to  the   Raising   of 

Lazarus. 

Lu.   13:31-17:10.     Harmony,  99-104. 

322.  Warning  against  Herod,  (i)  In  that  very  hour, 
somewhere  in  Perea,  probably  in  Jan.,  A.  D.  30,  came  some 
Pharisees,  saying,  go  hence  :  for  Herod  would  kill  thee.  (2) 
He  said,  Say  to  that  fox,  I  cast  out  demons  and  perform 
cures  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  the  third  day  I  am  per- 
fected, for  it  cannot  be  that  a  prophet  perish  out  of 
Jerusalem.  (3)  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  that  killeth  the 
prophets,  and  stoneth  them  that  are  sent  unto  her !  how 
often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as 
a  hen  gathereth  her  own  brood  under  her  wings,  and  ye 
would  not ! 

323.  Healing  of  the  Man  with  the  Dropsy,  (i)  When 
he  went  into  the  house  of  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  Pharisees 
on  a  sabbath  to  eat  bread,  they  were  watching  him.  (2) 
Here  was  a  man  that  had  the  dropsy.  (3)  Jesus  spake 
unto  the  lawyers  and  Pharisees,  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  the 
sabbath  or  not?  But  they  held  their  peace.  (4)  He  heal- 
ed him  and  said,  Which  of  you  shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox 
fallen  into  a  well,  and  will  not  draw  him  out  on  a  sabbath 
day?     (5)  And  they  could  not  answer  him. 

324.  Discourse  at  a  Pharisee's  Table,  (i)  When  he 
told  how  the  guests  chose  out  the  chief  seats  he  said.  When 
thou  art  bidden  to  a  marriage  feast  sit  not  in  the  chief  seat, 
lest  happily  a  more  honorable  man  be  bidden  of  him,  and 
the  host  shall  say  to  thee.  Give  this  man  place ;  and  then 
thou  shalt  with  shame  take  the  lowest  place.  (2)  But  when 
thou  art  bidden  sit  in  the  lowest  place;  that  he  that  hath 
bidden  thee  may  say.  Friend,  go  up  higher :  then  shalt  thou 
have  glory  in  the  presence  of  all  that  sit  at  meat.  (3)  For 
every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  humbled;  and  he 


192  Life  of  Christ. 

that  hiimblcth  himself  shall  be  exalted.  (4)  He  also  said 
to  him  that  had  bidden  him,  When  thou  makest  a  dinner  or 
a  supper,  call  not  thy  friends,  nor  thy  brethren,  nor  thy  kins- 
men, nor  rich  neighbors ;  lest  haply  they  also  bid  thee  again, 
and  a  recompense  be  made  thee.  (5)  But  when  thou  mak- 
est a  feast,  bid  the  poor,  the  maimed,  the  lame,  the  blind: 
and  thou  shalt  be  blessed ;  because  they  have  not  wherewith 
to  recompense  thee :  for  thou  shalt  be  recompensed  in  the 
resurrection  of  the  just.  (6)  When  one  of  them  that  sat 
at  meat  heard  these  things,  he  said,  Blessed  is  he  that  shall 
eat  bread  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  (7)  Christ  answered 
him  by  telling  the  parable  of  the  Great  Supper. 

325.  Counting  the  Cost.  ( i )  When  there  went  with 
him  great  multitudes,  he  said,  If  any  man  cometh  unto  me 
and  hateth  not  his  own  father,  and  mother,  and  wife,  and 
children,  and  brethren  and  sisters,  yea,  and  his  own  life  also, 
he  cannot  be  my  disciple.  (2)  To  impress  this  truth,  Jesus 
added  the  parables  of  Building  a  Tower  and  of  the  King 
Going  to  War. 

326.  Three  Parables  of  Grace  and  Two  of  Warning, 
(i)  When  all  the  publicans  and  sinners  were  drawing  near 
to  hear  him,  the  Pharisees  and  the  scribes  murmured,  say- 
ing, This  man  receiveth  sinners  and  eateth  with  them.  (2) 
In  answer  to  this  taunt,  Jesus  spoke  the  parables  of  the 
Lost  Sheep,  the  Lost  Coin,  and  the  Prodigal  Son.  (3)  To 
teach  foresight  in  heavenly  things,  he  utters  the  parable  of 
the  Unjust  Steward,  and  to  warn  them  of  the  fate  of  self- 
indulgence,  he  speaks  the  parable  of  the  Rich  Man  and 
Lacarns. 

327.  Forgiveness  and  Faith.  (1)  Probably  with  ref- 
erence to  the  controversy  with  the  Pharisees,  Jesus  said  unto 
his  disciples.  It  is  impossible  but  that  occasions  of  stumbling 
should  come ;  but  woe  unto  him,  through  whom  they  come ! 
It  were  well  for  him  if  a  millstone  were  hanged  about  his 
neck,  and  he  were  thrown  into  the  sea,  rather  than  that  he 
should  cause  one  of  these  little  ones  to  stumble.  (2)  The 
apostles  said,  Increase  our  faith.     The  Lord  said.  If  ye  had 


Life  of  Christ.  193 

faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  ye  would  say  unto  this 
sycamine  tree,  Be  thou  rooted  up,  and  planted  in  the  sea; 
and  it  would  obey  you.  (3)  But  who  of  you,  having  a  ser- 
vant plowing  or  keeping  sheep,  will  say,  when  he  is  come 
from  the  field,  Sit  down  to  meat  and  will  not  rather  say. 
Make  ready  wherewith  I  may  sup,  and  serve  me,  and  after- 
ward thou  shalt  eat  and  drink?  (4)  Doth  he  thank  the 
servant  because  he  did  the  things  that  were  commanded? 
(5)  Even  so  ye  also,  when  ye  shall  have  done  all  the  things 
that  are  commanded  you,  say,  We  are  unprofitable  servants ; 
we  have  done  that  which  it  was  our  duty  to  do. 

328.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  sources;  locate  place;  mem- 
orize Lu.  17 :  10.  2.  The  Warning  against  Herod  shows  that  at  this 
time  Christ  was  under  Herod  Antipas'  jurisdiction,  in  Perea.  3. 
These  Pharisees  were  either  (a)  friends  who  possessed  some  in- 
formation of  the  purpose  of  Herod,  or  (b)  they  were  sent  by 
Herod  to  frighten  Jesus  from  his  territory,  or  (c)  they  were 
Christ's  enemies  who  intended  to  drive  him  into  Judea  where  he 
could  be  more  readily  arrested  by  the  Sanhedrin.  3.  Jesus  refused 
to  hasten  his  fate  and  to  leave  important  work  unfinished.  4.  The 
term  "fox"  (a)  shows  that  Christ  understood  Herod's  crafty  char- 
acter, and  (b)  it  favors  the  second  interpretation.  5.  "On  the 
third  day"  must  not  be  taken  literally;  it  stands  for  "in  the  im- 
mediate future"  and  means :  "My  course  is  determined  and  can- 
not be  changed  by  the  schemes  of  men."  6.  Note  the  cutting 
words  in  the  last  clause  of  Lu.  13:33;  the  one  fatal  place  for  the 
messenger  of  Jehovah  was  in  the  center  of  Jehovah  worship.  Out- 
side of  orthodox  Jerusalem  a  prophet  was  safe.  7.  Incidentally 
we  have  in  verse  34  of  Lu.  13  ("How  many  times")  a  hint  of 
several  visits  made  to  Jerusalem,  a  fact  mentioned  only  in  John's 
gospel.  8.  On  the  "chief  of  the  Synagogue"  see  II34  (4).  9.  The 
motive  of  this  Pharisee  in  inviting  Jesus  was  evil  (Lu.  24:1). 
10.  There  was  no  little  scheming  among  the  rabbis  for  the  best 
place,  and  much  anxiety  on  the  part  of  the  host  not  to  give  offense. 
In  the  days  of  Jannaeus  a  rabbi  seated  himself  between  the  king 
and  his  queen,  giving  as  the  reason  that  "wisdom  made  its 
scholars  sit  among  princes."  11.  "Resurrection  of  the  Just"  means 
when  the  just  shall  rise  at  the  inauguration  of  the  Messianic  king- 
dom. 12.  The  parable  of  the  Great  Supper  was  suggested  by  the 
complacent  remark  of  a  guest  and  was  intended  to  show  that  no 
people   had   a  monopoly   of   the   divine    favor.     13.  In   the   East  it 


194  Life  of  Christ. 

is  customary  to  send  two  invitations,  one  some  time  beforehand 
and  another  when  the  feast  is  ready.  The  guests  are  then  expected 
to  come  at  once.  14.  The  "certain  man"  here  means  God,  the  "great 
supper"  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  the  "servant"  is  Christ,  who 
gives  the  invitation.  15.  On  "the  publicans,"  see  1|i6  (9).  "Sin- 
ners" were  either  people  who  did  not  obey  the  Pharisees'  strict 
religious  rules  or  immoral  persons.  Both  classes  were  regarded 
as  outcasts  not  worth  saving.  16.  In  all  three  parables  of  grace 
we  find  the  three  elements :  (a)  loss,  (b)  restoration  (c)  joy.  17. 
The  parable  of  the  prodigal  marks  out  (a)  separation,  (b)  the 
wages  of  sin,  (c)  repentance,  (d)  father's  welcome,  (e)  note  of 
discord.  18.  The  object  of  the  parable  of  the  prodigal  is  to  em- 
phasize the  subjective  condition  of  salvation;  the  objective  condi- 
tion, the  atonement,  is  taken  for  granted.  19.  The  parable  of  the 
Unjust  Steward  teaches  Christian  foresight,  and  the  duty  of  using 
earthly  goods  so  as  to  make  them  helpful  to  one's  eternal  welfare; 
and  that  of  Dives  and  Lazarus  condemns  worldliness  and  reveals 
the  doom  of  those,  who,  unmindful  of  the  sufferings  at  their  very 
doors,  use  their  riches  only  for  their  own  gratification. 

329.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  A  man  may  give  a  hundred  excuses 
and  never  hint  at  the  real  reason.  2.  An  "excuse"  is  often  a  pre- 
text which  men  invent  so  as  to  shun  without  self-reproach,  a  plain 
duty.  3.  Compel  men  to  come  to  the  church,  (a)  by  sound  teach- 
ing, (b)  good  example  and  (c)  noble  deeds.  4.  The  parables  of 
grace  are  designed  to  show  that  no  people  have  a  monopoly  of  the 
divine  favor.  (5)  Just  as  the  progress  of  science  is  marked  by  the 
utilizing  of  what  w^as  formerly  thought  to  be  worthless,  so  Jesus 
makes  useful  men  out  of  forsaken  sinners.  6.  He  who  sows  wild 
oats  must  not  expect  a  crop  of  good  grain.  7.  Satan  begins  by 
being  an  obedient  slave  to  men's  pleasures,  and  ends  by  being  a 
terrible  tyrant.  8.  No  hunger  is  so  pitiful  as  that  of  a  soul  that 
has  exhausted  the  joys  of  life.  9.  Though  sin  can  drag  down  a 
man  into  the  companionship  of  beasts,  it  cannot  extinguish  his 
sense  of  a  higher  destiny.  10.  The  elder  brother  is  a  type  of  nega- 
tive goodness  without  any  filial  spirit. 

330.  Reference  Literature,  Farrar,  Ch.  44;  Andrews,  402; 
Taylor,  The  Lost  Found.  Hast.  D.  B.  under  "heir;"  On  the  teach- 
ing of  Jesus  on  wealth,  see  Matthew's  Social  Teaching  of  Jesus, 
Ch.  6;  Spurgcon  and  Trench  on  the  Parables. 

331.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  What  is  Jesus'  teaching 
about  the  real  nature  of  hospitality?  2.  What  truth  do  the  parables 
in  Lu.  15,  teach?  3.  What  are  the  different  aspects  of  this  truth 
that  each  parable  illustrates?  4.  What  is  the  one  truth  which  the 
parable  of  the  Unjust  Steward  teaches? 


Life  of  Christ.  195 

CHAPTER  37. 
Raising  of   Lazarus  and   Flight  to   Ephraim. 
Jno.    11:1-54.     Harmony,    105-106. 

332.  The  Message  Sent,  (i)  Probably  in  Feb.,  A.  D. 
30,  Martha  and  Mary  of  Bethany  sent  to  Jesus  in  Perea  the 
message,  Lord,  he  whom  thou  lovest,  Lazarus,  is  sick.  (2) 
Jesus  said,  This  sickness  is  not  unto  death,  but  that  the 
Son  of  God  may  be  glorified  thereby.  (3)  After  a  two 
days'  delay  he  saith  to  the  disciples,  Let  us  go  into  Judea. 
(4)  The  disciples  say,  Rabbi,  the  Jews  were  but  now  seek- 
ing to  stone  thee  ;  and  goest  thou  thither  again  ?  Jesus  said. 
If  a  man  walk  in  the  day  he  stumbleth  not,  because  he  seeth 
the  light  of  this  world.  (5)  Thomas  said  to  his  fellow-dis- 
ciples, Let  us  also  go  that  we  may  die  with  him. 

333.  Arrival  at  Bethany.  (i)  When  Jesus  came, 
Lazarus  had  l^een  in  the  tomb  four  days'  already.  (2)  Mar- 
tha met  Jesus  on  the  way,  but  ]\Iary  sat  in  the  house.  (3) 
]\Iartha  said,  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here  my  brother  had 
not  died.  Jesus  said,  Thy  brother  shall  rise  again.  (4) 
Martha  saith,  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the  resur- 
rection at  the  last  day.  Jesus  saith,  I  am  the  resurrection 
and  the  life ;  he  that  believeth  on  me,  though  he  die,  yet 
shall  he  live,  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  on  me 
shall  never  die.  Believest  thou  this?  (5)  Martha  saith, 
Yea,  Lord,  I  have  believed  that  thou  are  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God.  (6)  Then  Martha  went  to  call  Mary,  and 
said:  The  Teacher  is  here  and  calleth  thee.  (7)  She  arose 
quickly  and  went  unto  him,  for  Jesus  was  still  in  the  place 
where  Martha  met  him.  (8)  The  Jews  who  were  consol- 
ing her  followed,  supposing  that  she  was  going  unto  the 
tomb  to  weep  there.  (9)  Mary  fell  down  at  Jesus'  feet, 
saying,  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here  my  brother  had  not 
died. 

334.  The  Raising  of  Lazarus,     (i)   When  Jesus  saw 


196  Life  of  Christ. 

her  and  the  Jews  weeping,  he  groaned  in  the  spirit  and  said, 
Where  have  ye  laid  him  ?  They  say,  Lord,  come  and  see. 
(2)  Jesus  wept  and  the  Jews  said:  how  he  loved  him! 
Some  said.  Since  he  opened  the  eyes  of  the  blind  man, 
could  he  not  have  caused  that  Lazarus  should  not  die?  (3) 
Jesus  again  groaning,  cometh  to  the  tom.b  and  saith,  Take 
away  the  stone.  Martha  saith.  Lord  by  this  time  the  body 
decayeth ;  for  he  hath  been  dead  four  days.  Jesus  an- 
swered, Said  I  not  that  if  thou  believedst,  thou  shouldst  see 
the  glory  of  God?  (4)  They  took  away  the  stone,  and 
Jesus  lifting  up  his  eyes,  said:  Father,  I  thank  thee  that 
thou  heardest  me.  And  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  Lazarus, 
come  forth,  and  he  came  forth.  Jesus  saith.  Loose  him 
and  let  him  go. 

335.  The  Efiects  of  the  Miracle,  (i)  On  the  Jev,s. 
Many  of  the  Jews  believed  on  him.  But  some  of  them  told 
the  Pharisees  the  things  which  Jesus  had  done.  (2)  On 
the  Sanhcdrin:  fa)  The  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees 
gathered  a  council  and  said,  What  do  we,  for  this  man 
doeth  many  signs?  If  we  let  him  thus  alone,  all  men  will 
believe  on  him,  and  the  Romans  will  come  and  take  away 
both  our  place  and  our  nation,  (b)  But  Caiaphas,  being 
high  priest  that  year,  said,  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  one 
man  should  die  for  the  people,  so  that  the  whole  nation  per- 
ish not.  (c)  This  he  said  not  of  himself,  but  being  high 
priest  that  year,  he  prophesied  that  Jesus  should  die  for 
the  nation,  (d)  So  from  that  day  forth  they  took  counsel 
that  they  might  put  him  to  death.  (3)  On  Jesus'  Move- 
ments. Jesus  walked  no  more  openly  among  the  Jews  but 
departed  to  a  city  called  Ephraim,  probably  in  February, 
A.  D.  30.     There  he  tarried  with  his  disciples. 

336.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  sources  and  analyze  tliem 
carefully,  locate  places  and  trace  the  Lord's  movements;  memorize 
Jno.  11:25.  2.  The  raising  of  Lazarus  took  place  about  the  end 
of  February,  A.  D.  30,  or  about  six  weeks  before  the  Passover, 
v.hich  that  year  fell  on  April  7.  3.  John  11:4  means  that  this 
sickness  was  to  become  an   occasion    for  showing  the  power   and 


,  Life  of  Christ.  197 

glory  of  God  and  of  his  Son.  4.  The  Jews  believed  that  for  three 
days  the  soul  hovered  about  the  sepulchre  anxious  to  re-enter  the 
body.  Had  Jesus  arrived  within  three  days,  it  might  have  been 
pronounced  no  miracle.  5.  Jno.  11:9,  10  means:  my  ministry  has 
its  appointed  length  sufficient  to  complete  my  work,  if  I  only  do 
not  forsake  God's  will  for  the  darkness  of  self-will.  6.  Notice  the 
various  emotions  recorded;  Mary  and  the  Jews  wailed,  Jesus  wept 
and  groaned.  On  Palm  Sunday  it  is  also  recorded  that  Jesus  wept. 
7.  For  other  indications  of  Tliomas'  tendency  to  despondency  and 
pessimism,  see  Jno.  14 :  5 ;  20 :  25.  8.  The  sepulchres  in  Palestine 
were  caves  with  recesses  in  the  sides  for  the  bodies ;  either  nat- 
ural (Gen.  23:9)  or  hewn  in  the  rock  (Mt.  27:60);  often  in  a 
private  garden  (Jno.  19:41)  or  some  field  (Gen.  23:9).  9.  The 
silence  of  the  synoptists  respecting  this  miracle  has  often  been 
urged  against  its  historicity.  This  objection  would  have  force 
were  this  silence  an  isolated  instance.  It  must  be  weighed  in  con- 
nection with  their  silence  concerning  the  entire  ministry  in  Judea 
and  Jerusalem.  On  the  other  side  the  raising  of  Lazarus  fits  in 
with  the  scheme  of  John's  gospel,  which  confines  itself  almost 
wholly  to  this  omitted  portion  of  Jesus'  ministry,  as  it  does  not 
fit  in  with  the  scheme  of  the  synoptists.  10.  The  raising  of  Lazurus 
and  the  great  popular  eflfect  brotight  on  a  crisis.  The  Sanhedrin 
felt  that  it  was  now  high  time  that  something  decisive  should  be 
done  and  in  a  formal  session  Caiaphas  advised  the  death  of  Jesus, 
insisting  that  the  plan  agreed  upon  two  years  ago, — to  put  Jesus 
to  death — should  now  be  resolutely  carried  out.  He  gave  this  as 
his  official  opinion  (Jno.  11:51).  11.  Joseph  Caiaphas  held  the 
office  eleven  years  from  A.  D.  25,  when  Valerius  Gratus  placed  him 
there  till  A.  D.  2>^,  when  Vitellius  removed  him.  12.  The  religious 
completion  of  the  council  was  as  follows :  Annas  and  Caiaphas  were 
Sadducees  and  most  resolute  and  resourceful  church  politicians. 
The  majority  of  the  "chief  priests"  at  this  time  were  also  Sad- 
ducees, but  the  Pharisees  seem  to  have  had  the  majority  in  the 
Sanhedrin.  Thus  we  see  here  a  union  of  the  two  parties  which 
were  usually  antagonistic.  With  the  Pharisees  the  motive  for 
opposing  Jesus  was  religion,  but  with  the  Sadducees  it  was  politics. 
13.  John  11:48  shows  that  the  Sadducees  feared  a  Messianic 
movement,  which  the  Romans  might  treat  as  treason  and  punish 
by  taking  from  the  Jews  the  large  measure  of  "home  rule"  which 
they  enjoyed.  Thus  having  much  to  risk  and  nothing  to  gain  by  a 
change  the  aristocratic  party  of  the  Sadducees  was  anxious  to  keep 
things  quiet,  so  as  to  offer  no  excuse  to  the  Romans  for  interfer- 
ence. 14.  Caiaphas'  pernicious  advice  was  couched  in  language 
the   deep   meaning  of  which   he  himself   did  not  understand.     To 


iQiS  Life  of  Christ. 

the  evangelist  those  words  so  appropriately  and  exactly  described 
the  actual  mission  of  Jesus  that  he  can  only  account  for  them  by 
considering  them  as  spoken  by  inspiration,  which  is  itself  accounted 
for  by  the  sacred  office  that  Caiaphas  held.  The  conception  of  the 
high  priest  as  a  medium  of  divine  communication  and  the  idea  of 
"unconscious  propliecy"  both  belong  to  Jewish  thought.  15.  The 
Hill  of  Evil  Counsel  is  the  name  still  given  to  the  traditional  site 
of  the  house  of  Caiaphas  where  this  meeting  is  supposed  to  have 
been  held.  See  the  map  of  Jerusalem.  16.  After  this  Jesus  left 
Jerusalem  secretly  for  Ephraim,  in  February  or  early  March.  The 
location  of  Ephraim  is  disputed.  Most  maps  locate  it  in  the  north- 
east part  of  Judea,  about  16  miles  from  Jerusalem.  17.  Of  the 
sojourn  in  Ephraim  we  know  nothing.  It  was  probably  a  time  of 
quiet  and  of  preparation  for  the  end.  It  is  plain  that  Jesus  re- 
tired to  the  place  to  escape  from  the  Jews,  Jno.  11:54,  and  it  is 
therefore  not  likely  that  his  place  of  retirement  was  known. 

337.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  The  presence  of  Jesus  in  individual 
and  national  life  exerts  a  preventive  influence  upon  evil.  2.  Trou- 
ble also  enters  the  homes  of  those  whom  Jesus  loves.  3.  After 
Jno.  11:  II  the  early  Christians  called  their  grave-yards  "ceme- 
teries," that  is  sleeping  rooms,  from  the  Greek  koimeterion.  4.  It 
is  never  right  to  do  evil  that  good  may  come. 

338.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  47;  Andrews,  408; 
Trench  on  the  Miracles ;  Davis  D.  B.  on  Annas,  p.  34,  and  Caiaphas, 
p.  102;  a  famous  sermon  by  Robertson  on  the  Atonement,  based  on 
Jno.  11:50;  On  Eastern  funeral  customs,  see  Trumbull's  studies 
in  Oriental  Social  Life;  Tristran's  Eastern  Customs;  Tennyson, 
"In  Memoriam,"  31,  32;  Arnold's  Light  of  the  World. 

339.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  How  much  did  Martha 
know  about  the  resurrection,  and  what  did  Jesus  add  to  her  knowl- 
edge. 2.  Why  did  the  Jews  refer  to  the  healing  of  the  blind 
man  and  not  to  the  two  raisings  in  Galilee?  3.  Why  was  Lazarus 
silent  at  the  trial  of  Jesus?  (Jno.  12:  lo-ii).  4.  Why  did  Jesus  not 
go  to  Bethany  at  once  when  he  was  called.  5.  Explain  Caiaphas' 
w^ords  in  the  light  of  the  political  status  of  Palestine? 


Life  of  Christ.  199 

CHAPTER  38. 

Journey  from  Ephraim  to  Jericho. 

Lu.  17:11-18:34;  Matt.  19:3-20:19;  Mk.  10:2-34. 
Harmony,  107-113. 

340.  The  Ten  Lepers,  (i)  About  two  weeks  before 
his  death,  at  the  end  of  March,  A.  D.  30,  Jesus  left  Ephraim 
to  go  to  the  passover  at  Jerusalem.  (2)  Probably  to  meet 
some  Galilean  caravans,  he  first  went  northward.  (3)  As 
he  was  passing  along  the  borders  of  Samaria  and  Galilee, 
there  met  him  ten  lepers  who  stood  afar  off  saying,  Jesus, 
Master,  have  mercy  on  us.  (4)  He  said,  show  yourselves 
unto  the  priests.  As  they  went  they  were  cleansed.  (5) 
One  of  them  turned  back,  with  a  loud  voice  glorifying  God, 
and  fell  upon  his  face  at  Jesus'  feet  giving  him  thanks,  and 
he  was  a  Samaritan.  (6)  Jesus  said,  were  not  the  ten 
cleansed,  where  are  the  nine  ?  Were  there  none  found  that 
returned  to  give  glory  to  God,  save  this  stranger?  (7) 
Then  he  said  to  the  man.  Arise  and  go  thy  way :  thy  faith 
hath  made  thee  whole. 

341.  The  Coming  of  the  Kingdom,  (i)  At  an  un- 
named place  he  was  asked  by  the  Pharisees  when  the 
kingdom  of  God  cometh?  He  said.  The  kingdom  of  God 
Cometh  not  with  observation ;  neither  shall  they  say,  Lo, 
here  ;  or  there  !  for  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you.  (2) 
Then  said  he  unto  the  disciples,  The  days  will  come,  when 
ye  shall  desire  to  see  one  of  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man, 
and  ye  shall  not  see  it.  (3)  When  they  shall  say,  Lo,  there  ! 
Lo,  here !  go  not  away,  for  as  the  lightning,  when  it  lighten- 
eth  out  of  the  one  part  under  the  heaven,  shineth  unto  the 
other  part ;  so  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  in  his  day.  But  first 
must  he  sufifer  many  things  and  be  rejected  of  this  genera- 
tion. (4)  Indifference  will  reign  as  in  the  time  of  Noah 
and  Lot.  They  ate,  drank,  bought,  sold,  planted,  married, 
until  they  were  destroyed.  (5)  Remember  Lot's  wife. 
Who  shall  seek  to  gain  his  life,  shall  lose  it. 


200  Life  of  Christ. 

342.  Two  Kinds  of  Prayer.  In  order  to  encourage 
prayer  without  ceasing,  and  to  warn  them  of  self-righteous 
worship,  Jesus  spoke  the  parables  of  The  Unjust  Judge,  and 
of  the  Pharisee  and  Publican. 

343.  Concerning  Divorce,  (i)  Either  in  Perea,  the 
territory  of  Herod  Antipas,  or  already  in  Judea,  some  Phar- 
isees tempting  him,  said,  Is  it  lawful  for  a  man  to  put  away 
his  wife  for  every  cause?  (2)  Jesus  said,  God  made  them 
male  and  female.  For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father 
and  mother,  and  shall  cleave  to  his  wife ;  and  the  two  shall 
become  one  flesh?  What  therefore  God  hath  joined  to- 
gether, let  not  man  put  asunder.  (3)  They  say.  Why  then 
did  Moses  command  to  give  a  bill  of  divorcement.  Pie 
saith,  Moses  for  your  hardness  of  heart  suffered  you  to 
put  away  your  wives :  but  from  the  beginning  it  hath  not 
been  so.  (4)  Whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife,  except 
for  fornication,  and  shall  marry  another,  committeth  adul- 
tery :  and  he  that  marrieth  her  when  she  is  put  away  com- 
mitteth adultery.  (5)  The  disciples  say,  If  the  case  of  the 
man  is  so  with  his  wife,  it  is  not  expedient  to  marry.  (6) 
But  he  said,  There  are  eunuchs  that  were  so  born,  and  there 
are  eunuchs  that  were  made  eunuchs  by  men ;  and  there 
are  eunuchs  that  made  themselves  eunuchs  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven's  sake. 

344.  Blessing  Little  Children,  (i)  Probably  in  Perea 
there  were  brought  unto  him  little  children,  that  he  should 
lay  his  hands  on  them,  and  pray.  (2)  The  disciples  re- 
buked them.  But  Jesus  said,  Sufifer  the  little  children,  and 
forbid  them  not,  to  come  unto  me :  for  to  such  belongeth  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  And  he  took  them  in  his  arms  and 
laid  his  hands  on  them. 

345.  The  Rich  Young  Ruler.  (i)  At  an  unnamed 
place,  probably  in  Perea,  a  ruler  asked  him,  Good  Teacher, 
what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life?  (2)  Jesus  said, 
Why  callest  thou  me  good?  none  is  good,  save  one,  even 
God.  Thou  knowest  the  commandments.  Do  not  commit 
adultery.  Do  not  kill.  Do  not  steal.  Do  not  bear  false  wit- 


Life  of  Christ.  201 

ness,  Honor  thy  father  and  mother.  (3)  The  ruler  said, 
All  these  things  have  I  observed  from  my  youth  up;  what 
lack  I  yet  ?  Jesus  looking  upon  him  loved  him,  and  said : 
One  thing  thou  lackest  yet :  sell  all  that  thou  hast,  and  dis- 
tribute unto  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in 
heaven:  and  follow  me.  (4)  When  he  heard  these 
things  he  became  exceeding  sorrowful ;  and  went  away ; 
for  he  was  very  rich.  (5)  Jesus  said.  How  hardly 
shall  the  rich  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God !  It  is 
easier  for  a  camel  to  enter  in  through  a  needle's  eye, 
than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 
(6)  They  that  heard  it  said,  Then  who  can  be  saved? 
He  said,  The  things  which  are  impossible  with  men 
are  possible  with  God.  Peter  said,  Lo,  we  have  left 
our  own  and  followed  thee.  What  shall  we  have?  (7) 
Jesus  said.  There  is  no  man  that  hath  left  house,  or  wife,  or 
brethren,  or  parents,  or  children,  for  the  kingdom  of  God's 
sake,  who  shall  not  receive  manifold  more  in  this  life,  and 
in  the  world  to  come  life  eternal.  (8)  But  many  shall  be 
last  that  are  first  and  first  that  are  last.  (9)  To  illustrate 
this  truth  Christ  added  the  parable  of  the  Laborers  in  the 
Vineyard. 

346.  Third  Plain  Announcement  of  Christ's  Death. 
( I )  Again  he  said  to  the  twelve.  Behold,  we  go  up  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  all  the  things  that  are  written  through  the 
prophets  shall  be  accomplished  unto  the  Son  of  man.  (2) 
For  he  shall  be  delivered  up  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  shall 
be  mocked,  and  shamefully  treated,  and  spit  upon :  and  they 
shall  scourge  and  kill  him :  and  the  third  day  he  shall 
rise  again.     (3)   And  they  understood  none  of  these  things. 

347.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources;  lo- 
cate places;  trace  the  Lord's  movements;  memorize  Lu.  18:17.  2. 
The  words  "through  the  midst  of  Samaria  and  Galilee"  suggest 
a  brief  journey  from  Ephraim  to  the  north  to  meet  caravans  of 
Galilean  friends  bound  for  the  passover.  Jesus  joined  them  and 
on  his  way  to  Jerusalem  he  meets  these  lepers  at  a  place  in  Perea 
not  named.     3.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  question  in  Luke  17:20, 


202  Life  of  Christ. 

so  interesting  to  all  Jews,  was  asked  in  mockery,  or  to  tempt  him 
to  say  something  treasonable  or  whether  in  an  honest  spirit.  4. 
Note  the  two  translations  of  Lu.  17:21:  (a)  the  kingdom  of  God 
is  "in  the  midst  of  you,"  in  the  person  of  Christ  and  his  few  fol- 
lowers. It  is  not  a  political  regime  to  be  set  up  on  some  future 
day;  it  is  a  new  moral  order  which  has  already  begun,  (b)  The 
kingdom  of  God  "is  within  you" — It  is  God's  rule  in  the  hearts  of 
men,  through  whom  he  would  influence  society,  church  and  state, 
science,  literature  and  art.  5.  Justified  means  forgiven,  made  ac- 
ceptable to  God.  The  Pharisee  could  not  be  forgiven  because  he 
was  not  penitent.  This  parable  shows  that  the  so-called  Pauline 
idea  of  justification  by  faith  is  germinally  contained  in  the  teaching 
of  Christ.  6.  The  Pharisees  "tempted  him"  (a)  either  to  get  an 
expression  on  divorce  from  Jesus  which  would  arouse  Herod 
Antipas  against  him.  If  this  was  the  intention  Jesus  must  have 
still  been  in  Herod's  dominion,  or  (b)  to  entangle  him  in  the  con- 
troversy between  the  liberal  school  of  Hillel  and  the  stricter  views 
of  Schammai's  followers.  7.  The  law  permitted  a  man  to  divorce 
his  wife,  "if  she  find  no  favor  in  his  eyes,  because  he  hath  found 
some  unseemly  thing  in  her"  (Deut.  24:1).  The  ambiguity  of 
this  statement  made  it  one  of  the  standing  puzzles  of  the  Jewish 
schools.  The  strict  school  of  Shammai  interpreted  it  as  referring 
only  to  unfaithfulness  to  the  marriage  vow.  The  liberal  school  of 
Hillel  extended  it  to  the  most  trival  displeasure,  such  as  burning 
the  dinner,  or  if  he  saw  a  woman  whom  he  liked  better,  etc.  d>.  Jesus 
admits  that  Moses  allowed  divorces  to  protect  women  from  worse 
treatment,  but  he  considered  it  as  an  accommodation  to  the  rude 
nature  of  primitive  civilization.  The  original  law  is  Gen.  1:27; 
2 :  24.  9.  Jesus'  teaching  on  divorce  was  as  follows :  Mere  legal 
divorce  does  not  break  the  marriage  tie ;  adultery  does  break  it 
and  hence  is  the  only  exception  to  the  prohibition  of  divorce  (Matt. 
19:9).  10.  Dr.  Woolsey  sums  up  Christ's  teaching  very  clearly 
in  the  following  sentence :  "The  general  principle,  serving  as  the 
groundwork  of  all  these  declarations,  is,  that  legal  divorce  does 
not,  in  the  view  of  God,  and  according  to  the  correct  rule  of 
morals,  authorize  either  husband  or  wife  thus  separated  to  marry 
again,  with  the  single  exception  that  when  the  divorce  occurs  on 
account  of  a  sexual  crime,  the  innocent  party  ma3%  without  guilt, 
contract  a  second  marriage."  11.  Eunuchs  (from  the  Greek  eune- 
echo,  to  have  the  bed,  i.  e.  a  keeper  of  the  bedchamber)  were  per- 
sons who  had  been  emasculated  and  set  over  the  harem.  They 
often  obtained  other  high  positions  and  great  authority. 

348.     I.  The  fact  that  these  mothers  valued  Jesus'  blessing  shows 
that  the  Lord  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  people  of  the  region 


'  Life  of  Christ.  203 

where  he  was  at  that  time  and  that  they  regarded  him  as  a  holy 
man.  2.  Christ  welcomed  the  children  both  for  their  own  sakes  and 
as  a  type  of  the  material  of  which  the  kingdom  of  heaven  con- 
sists. 3.  Jesus  does  not  deny  that  the  title  "good"  belongs  to  him, 
but  it  must  be  intelligently  given.  The  ruler  regarded  Jesus  as  a 
mere  man.  4.  As  the  popular  conception  of  the  Messianic  kingdom 
included  temporal  blessings  in  great  abundance,  therefore  Christ's 
demand  greatly  surprised  the  j^oung  ruler.  5.  This  incident  shows 
the  insight  which  Jesus  had  into  the  hearts  of  men.  This  young 
ruler  was  of  blameless  morality  of  the  legal  sort.  But  the  Lord 
saw  beneath  the  surface  the  dangerous  point  in  the  young  man's 
character,  viz.  his  attachment  to  his  wealth.  Jesus  tested  him 
and  the  correctness  of  his  estimate  is  shown  by  the  result.  6. 
Matt.  19 :  24  contains  a  hyperpole  for  an  impossibility.  The  largest 
familiar  animal  cannot  pass  through  the  smallest  familiar  opening. 
7.  A  new  element  in  the  third  announcement  of  his  death  is  his 
declaration  that  they  shall  deliver  him  unto  the  Gentiles.  Yet 
this  was  a  necessary  consequence  of  the  political  status  of  Judea, 
if  he  was  not  to  be  slain  by  a  mob,  since  the  Jewish  courts  did  not 
possess  the  power  of  life  and  death.  Matthew's  word  "crucify"  is 
a  reference  to  the  Roman  mode  of  punishment,  that  of  the  Jews 
being  stoning. 

349.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Efforts  to  discourage  us  in  reach- 
ing Christ  should  make  us  the  more  resolute.  2.  To  appeal  to  the 
good  in  men  rather  than  to  denounce  the  evil  is  often  a  good  way 
to  win  them.  3.  Better  than  arguing  and  antagonizing  men  is  to 
set  before  them  a  higher  standard  (Lu.  18:23).  4.  There  are 
many  handicaps  in  riches  (Matt.  19:24-30).  5.  Christ  applies 
various  tests  to  men.  6.  Only  love  to  God  displaces  love  of  money. 
7.  We  may  have  both,  God  and  Mammon,  but  we  cannot  love  and 
serve  both.  8.  Eternal  life  is  received  rather  than  inherited.  9. 
The  function  of  the  commandments  is  not  to  show  the  way  to 
life,  but  the  way  to  live  after  life  is  obtained  through  faith. 
(Paulinism).  10.  The  principal  teaching  of  the  parable  of  the 
Laborers  is  the  true  nature  of  the  reward  in  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
Peter's  question,  "What  shall  we  have?"  showed  a  tendency  to 
bring  the  disciples'  obedience  to  a  calculation  of  so  much  work 
so  much  reward.  The  Lord's  answer  is  "Not  of  works  lest  any 
man  should  boast"  (Rom.  4:1-4).  11.  The  successive  hours  may 
be  taken  as  an  image  (a)  of  the  different  periods  of  man's  life, 
when  God  calls  him:  Childhood  (instruction  at  home  and  in  the 
Sabbath  School);  youth;  manhood,  and  old  age,  or  (b)  of  the 
call  to  the  different  races,  viz. :  the  Jews,  the  Greeks,  the  Romans, 
the  Teutonic  race,  mission  field  of  modern  times.     12.  All  activity 


204  Life  of  Christ. 

which  disregards  man's  chief  end  is  in  God's  sight  idleness.  A 
Roman  was  called  idle,  "otiosus"  when  not  engaged  in  state  af- 
fairs, however  busy  he  might  be  in  his  private  affairs.  He  was 
regarded  as  occupied,  busy  "ncgotiosus,"  only  when  in  office  work- 
ing for  the  good  of  the  state.  Worldly  minded  people  may  be 
busily  engaged  in  their  own  personal  affairs,  incessantly  hunting 
after  wealth,  honor,  pleasure  and  pleading  lack  of  time  to  attend  to 
their  souls,  yet  as  Christ  sees  them  they  are  idle,  playing  with 
pebbles  on  the  ocean  of  time,  neglecting  the  highest  interest  of 
their  life.  13.  Matt.  20:8  teaches  in  parabolic  form  the  doctrine 
which  many  passages  of  Scripture  teach  in  plain  language,  and  which 
is  common  to  all  Protestants,  "That  the  souls  of  believers  are  at 
their  death  made  perfect  in  holiness  and  do  immediately  pass  into 
glory."  Westmin.  Shorter  Cat.,  Ques.  37 ;  Heid.  Cat,  Ques.  58, 
"After  this  life  I  shall  inherit  perfect  salvation,"  14.  Opposed  ta 
this  common  Protestant  doctrine  is  (i)  the  notion  that  the  soul 
exists  during  the  interval  between  death  and  the  resurrection  in  a 
state  of  unconscious  repose  commonly  called,  "sleep  of  the  soul." 
(2)  The  Roman  Catholic  dogma  which  divides  the  world  beyond 
into  five  compartments,  viz. :  (a)  Limhus  Patrum,  place  where  the 
Old  Testament  saints  are;  (b)  Limhus  Infantum,  for  unbaptized 
children;  (c)  Hell,  place  of  torment;  (d)  Heaven;  (e)  Purgatory, 
place  of  cleansing.  15.  Docs  Matt.  20:  16  imply  that  there  will  be 
degrees  of  glory  in  heaven?  In  one  sense  there  will  not;  for  ob- 
jectively, the  penny,  which  is  the  vision  of  God,  is  the  same  for  all. 
In  another  sense,  however,  there  will  be  degrees,  for  subjectively, 
the  penny  is  to  every  one  exactly  what  he  will  make  of  it.  There 
is  one  vision  of  God  but  there  are  very  different  capacities  for 
enjoying  that  vision.  Augustine  compares  it  to  the  "light  which 
gladdens  the  healthy  eye,  but  torments  the   diseased." 

350.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  46;  Andrews,  410;  on 
the  eunuchs,  sec  Davis'  D.  B.,  p.  211,  and  Hast.  D.  of  C.  I,  547; 
and  Robinson's  Greek  Diet,  under  "eunuch ;"  on  marriage  and  di- 
vorce. Hast.  D.  C.  I,  137;  End.  by  Herzog,  Schaff-Herzog  and 
Sanford ;  Davis,  p.  458.  A  famous  sermon  by  Chalmers  on  the. 
Expelling  Power  of  a  New  Affection;  J.  R.  Miller,  Wedded  Life. 

351.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Notice  the  variations  in  the 
discourse  on  divorce  as  given  by  the  synoptists.  2.  What  is  the 
relation  of  Jesus'  teaching  to  the  O.  T.  law  on  divorce?  3.  Does 
Mark  10:4-6  teach  that  the  morality  of  the  O.  T.  was  progressive? 
4.  Did  Jesus  in  Mk.  10:18  intend  to  deny  that  he  was  God?  5. 
Why  did  Jesus  love  the  young  ruler?  (Mk.  10:21).  6,  Is  Matt. 
19:21   a  universally  applicable  command? 


Life  of  Christ.  205 

CHAPTER  39. 

Jesus  at  Jericho  and  Bethany. 

Matt.  20:20-34;  26:6-13;  Mk.  10:  35-52;  14:3-9;  Lu.  18: 
35-19:28;  Jno.  II  :  55-12:  II.     Harmony,  114-118. 

352.  An  Ambitious  Request,  (i)  Not  far  from  Jeri- 
cho came  to  him  Salome  with  her  two  sons,  John  and  James, 
worshipping  him  and  requesting  him,  Command  that  these, 
my  two  sons,  may  sit,  one  on  thy  right  hand  and  one  on  thy 
left  hand,  in  thy  kingdom.  (2)  Jesus  answered.  Ye  know 
not  what  ye  ask.  Are  ye  able  to  drink  the  cup  that  I  am 
about  to  drink?  They  say.  We  are  able.  (3)  He  saith, 
My  cup  indeed  ye  shall  drink;  but  to  sit  on  my  right  hand 
and  on  my  left  hand,  is  not  mine  to  give ;  but  it  is  for  them 
for  whom  it  has  been  prepared  of  my  Father.  (4)  When 
the  ten  heard  it,  they  were  moved  with  indignation.  (5) 
Jesus  said.  Ye  know  that  the  rulers  of  the  Gentiles  lord  it 
over  them.  Not  so  shall  it  be  among  you ;  but  whoever 
would  become  great  among  you  shall  be  your  minister ;  even 
as  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to 
minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many. 

353.  The  Blind  Men  Near  Jericho,  (i)  As  they  went 
into  Jericho  a  great  multitude  followed  him.  (2)  Bar- 
timseus,  sitting  by  the  wayside  begging,  inquired  what  this 
meant.  When  they  told  him  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth 
by,  he  cried,  Jesus,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  upon  me. 
(3)  They  that  Avent  before  rebuked  him  that  he  should 
hold  his  peace,  but  he  cried  out  the  more.  Thou  Son  of 
David,  have  mercy  on  me.  (4)  Jesus  commanded  him  to 
be  brought  and  asked,  What  wilt  thou  that  I  should  do  unto 
thee?  He  said,  Lord,  that  I  may  receive  my  sight.  Jesus 
said.  Receive  thy  sight,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole. 
(5)  Immediately  he  received  his  sight  and  followed  him, 
glorifying  God ;  and  all  the  people  gave  praise  unto  God. 

354.  Visit    to    Zacchaeus.       (i)    When   Jesus   passed 


2o6  Life  of  Christ. 

through  Jericho,  Zacchaeus,  a  chief  pubHcan  and  rich,  sought 
to  see  him.  (2)  As  he  could  not  for  the  crowd  because  he 
was  Hltle  of  stature,  he  ran  on  before  and  cHmbed  up  into 
a  sycamore  tree.  (3)  When  Jesus  came  to  the  place,  he 
looked  up  and  said,  Zacchaeus  make  haste  and  come  down, 
for  to-day  I  must  abide  at  thy  house,  and  he  received  him 
joyfully.  (4)  But  all  murmured,  saying,  he  is  gone  in  to 
lodge  with  a  man  that  is  a  sinner.  (5)  Zacchaeus  said  unto 
the  Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor,  and  if 
I  have  wrongfully  exacted  aught,  I  restore  it  fourfold.  (6) 
Jesus  said.  To-day  is  salvation  come  to  this  house.  For  the 
Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost. 

355.  Parable  of  the  Minae.  ( i )  Because  he  was  now 
nigh  to  Jerusalem  his  disciples  and  others  supposed  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  was  immediately  to  appear.  (2)  To  teach 
them  that  a  long  time  would  elapse  before  the  consumma- 
tion of  the  kingdom,  Christ  spoke  the  Parable  of  the  Pounds 
or  Minae. 

356.  Excitement  at  Jerusalem,  (i)  The  passover  be- 
ing at  hand  many  had  already  arrived  at  Jerusalem  to 
purify  themselves.  (2)  They  sought  Jesus  and  spake  with 
one  another.  What  think  ye?  Will  he  come  to  the  feast? 
(3)  Now  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees  had  given  com- 
mandment that  if  any  man  knew  where  he  was,  he  should 
show  it,  that  they  might  take  him. 

357.  Anointing  at  Bethany,  (i)  On  Friday.  ^^larch 
31  (Nisan  8),  A.  D.  30,  six  days  before  the  passover.  Jesus 
came  to  Bethany.  (2)  In  his  honor  his  friends  made  him 
a  supper  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper.  (3)  Martha 
served;  Lazarus  was  one  of  them  that  sat  at  meat.  (4) 
Mary  took  a  pound  of  ointment  of  pure  spikenard,  very 
precious,  and  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus  and  wiped  his  feet 
with  her  hair,  and  the  house  was  filled  with  the  odor  of 
the  ointment.  (5)  Judas,  followed  by  the  other  disciples, 
saith.  Why  was  not  this  ointment  sold  for  three  hundred 
shillings  and  given  to  the  poor?  (6)  Now  this  Judas 
said,  not  because  he  cared  for  the  poor,  but  becau.se  he  was 


Life  of  Christ.  207 

a  thief,  and  having  the  bag  took  away  what  was  put  therein. 
(7)  Jesus  said,  Suffer  her  to  keep  it  against  the  day  of 
my  burying.  For  the  poor  ye  have  always  with  you,  but 
me  ye  have  not  always. 

358.  The  Life  of  Lazarus  in  Danger,  (i)  When  the 
common  people  learned  that  Jesus  was  at  Bethany  they 
came,  not  for  Jesus'  sake  only,  but  that  they  might  see 
Lazarus  also.  (2)  But  the  chief  priests  took  counsel  that 
they  might  put  Lazarus  also  to  death ;  because  that  by  rea- 
son of  him  many  of  the  Jews  believed  on  Jesus. 

359.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources, 
especially  the  variations  in  the  narratives  of  the  blind  men  and  of 
the  ambition  of  James  and  John ;  locate  places ;  trace  the  Lord's 
movements ;  memorize  Matt.  20 :  28.  2.  The  variation  between 
Matt.  20 :  20  and  Mk.  10 :  35  may  be  solved  by  supposing  that  Salome 
opened  the  subject  and  her  two  sons  afterward  joined  her  in  her 
request.  3.  Perhaps  Salome  had  in  mind  the  promise  in  Matt. 
19 :  23,  that  the  apostles  shall  occupy  twelve  thrones.  4.  Notice  that 
the  teaching  of  the  death  of  Christ  being  of  the  nature  of  arouo?;?. 
is  not  an  idea  invented  by  Paul.  5.  Jericho,  about  17  miles  from 
Jerusalem,  was  an  important  city  in  the  time  of  Christ;  to-day  it 
is  inhabited  by  about  60  families  living  in  miserable  hovels.  6. 
The  three  narratives  of  the  blind  men  have  exercised  the  ingenuity 
of  harmonizers.  Luke  and  Mark  have  one,  Matthew  mentions  two ; 
Luke  represents  the  miracle  as  taking  place  when  Jesus  was  ap- 
proaching Jericho ;  Matthew  and  Mark,  when  He  was  leaving  it. 
The  following  solutions  have  been  suggested:  (i)  There  were 
three  different  healings.  (2)  As  Christ  entered  Jericho,  Bartimseus 
called  for  help,  and  was  not  healed;  he  then  joined  a  second  blind 
man,  and  with  him  made  an  appeal  as  Jesus  left  Jericho,  and  then 
both  were  healed.  (3)  One  blind  man  was  healed  as  He  entered, 
Bartimseus,  and  another  as  He  left.  (4)  One  was  healed  as 
He  entered  and  one  as  He  left;  and  Matthew  combines  the  first 
with  the  second.  (5)  There  were  two  Jerichos,  old  and  new,  and 
Luke  means  that  Jesus  was  approaching  new  Jericho,  Matthew 
and  Mark  that  He  was  leaving  old  Jericho,  although  there  is  no 
evidence  that  old  Jericho  was  still  inhabited.  The  narrative  of 
Mark,  who  gives  the  name  Bartimieus  and  other  details,  is  prob- 
ably the  most  exact  of  the  three.  7.  These  trivial  variations  in 
detail  are  probably  due  to  variations  in  the  original  sources  from 
which    these    narratives    were    derived.     8.  The    meaning    of    Zac- 


2o8  Life  of  Christ. 

chaeus  (the  "Just")  was  an  irony  in  view  of  his  business.  9.  This 
visit  to  ZacchjEus  was  regarded  by  many  as  an  act  unworthy  of 
Christ's  Messianic  claims  (Luke  10:7).  10.  A  chief  publican  was 
one  who  had  bought  the  right  to  collect  the  customs  in  a  certain 
district  or  on  certain  articles.  Strictly  speaking  Zacchaeus  was  not 
an  official,  but  a  contractor.  lie  doubtless  sold  to  others  the  right 
to  collect  the  customs  at  certain  points  or  on  certain  articles  of 
commerce.  11.  Balsam  from  the  numerous  palm  groves  was  the 
chief  article  of  commerce  at  Jericho.  12.  From  Luke  19:5  (and 
vs.  7,  "lodge")  it  seems  to  follow  that  Jesus  stayed  in  Jericho  over 
night.  13.  Restoration  of  goods  taken  by  fraud  was  demanded  by 
the  law  (Ex.  22:1,  4  and  7;  2  Sam.  12:6).  14.  The  introduction 
to  the  parable  of  the  Pounds  states  the  reason  for  uttering  it,  viz. : 
(a)  to  repress  impatience  in  his  loyal  disciples  and  (b)  to  enjoin 
active  work  for  him  until  his  return.  Verses  14  and  27  are  meant 
for  his  wavering  followers  who  might  be  tempted  to  forsake  his 
cause  when  his  personal  presence  should  be  withdrawn  from  them 
and  when  his  ignominious  death  should  have  seemed  to  belie  his 
lofty  pretensions.  15.  Two  features  of  this  parable  are  taken  from 
contemporaneous  history,  (a)  Both  Herod  the  Great  and  Archelaus 
were  obliged  to  repair  to  Rome  to  obtain  their  kingdom;  (b) 
Fifty  Jews  followed  Archelaus  to  Rome  and  8,000  of  the  Roman 
colony  joined  them  beseeching  Augustus  in  the  temple  of  Apollo  to 
free  them  from  Archelaus  and  rather  unite  Judsea  with  Syria.  In 
Jericho  where  this  parable  was  spoken  stood  a  royal  palace  which 
Archelaus   had   built. 

360.  I.  Jesus  arrived  at  Bethany  on  the  Friday  before  Palm 
Sunday,  March  31  (8th  of  Nisan).  This  house  was  his  home  until 
he  was  arrested.  2.  The  supper  took  place  on  the  day  following 
his  arrival,  i.  e.  on  the  Sabbath,  Saturday,  April  ist  (9th  of 
Nisan),  probably  after  sunset,  although  feasting  was  also  allowed 
during  the  Sabbath  (Lu.  14:1),  provided  the  food  and  the  tables 
were  prepared  beforehand.  3.  John  places  the  feast  in  the  home  of 
Simon  but  Matt,  and  Mark  in  that  of  Mary  and  Martha.  Solu- 
tion: (a)  Simon  was  the  father  of  Lazarus  and  his  sisters,  or  (b) 
the  husband  of  Martha.  4.  The  character  of  the  feast,  (a)  a 
thank-offering  by  Simon  for  having  been  healed  by  Christ  from 
leprosy;  (b)  a  feast  of  welcome  by  his  friends.  5.  "Pure  nard" 
(A.  V.  "spikenard")  was  a  very  costly  perfumed  ointment  im- 
ported from  India.  A  pound  of  it  was  worth  about  fifty  dollars, 
a  year's  wages  in  Christ's  time,  and  equal  to  about  five  hundred 
dollars  now.  6.  Jolni  puis  this  supper  six  days  before  the  pass- 
over,  but  the  Synoptist  seemingly  only  two  days  before.  John  puts 
it   in   the   right   place.     The    Synoptists   bring   it    in   parenthetically 


Life  of  Christ.  209 

for  the  purpose  of  explaining  the  action  of  Judas  and  the  San- 
hedrin's  change  of  plan  as  to  the  time  of  arresting  Jesus.  The  "two 
da3's"  in  Matt.  26:  2  refers  to  the  meeting  of  the  Sanhedrin  and  not 
to  this  meal.  7.  On  the  differences  between  the  two  anointings, 
see  II199.  8.  John's  casual  remarks  about  the  bag  shows  (a) 
that  the  Twelve  had  a  common  treasury;  (b)  that  they  supported 
the  poor;  (c)  that  Judas  was  their  steward;  (d)  that  even  before 
this  he  had  proved  unfaithful.  9.  Jesus  accepted  Mary's  act  as  an 
anticipation   of   the   customary   funeral   honors. 

361.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Murmurings  against  God's  dealings 
with  us  are  inspired  more  by  feelings  of  envy  at  the  good  fortune 
or  the  supposed  good  fortune  of  others  than  by  a  sense  of  injustice 
to  ourselves  (Matt.  20:24).  2.  To  set  wrong  matters  right  is  the 
best  evidence  of  a  real  change  of  heart.  3.  Christ's  nearness  exerts 
a  sanctifying  influence  (Alcibiades  and  Socrates).  4.  Do  not  wait 
till  friends  are  dead  to  pour  out  upon  them  the  perfume  of  kind 
words  and  loving  deeds. 

362.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  48;  Andrews,  410; 
Stalker,  Ch.  6;  Davis,  D.  B.  on  spikenard,  p.  705;  the  six  Marys,  p. 
458;  Edersheim,  Life  of  Jesus  II,  344-360;  Hofman's  painting  of  the 
Anointing. 

363.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  What  two  errors  betray 
themselves  in  the  request  of  James  and  John?  (Mk.  10:36).  2. 
What  principle  of  primacy  is  laid  down  in  Mk.  10:42-44?  3.  What 
is  its  modern  application?  4.  What  false  view  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  did  he  correct  in  the  parable  of  the  Minae?  5.  Did  Mary  intend 
to  anoint  Jesus  for  his  burial?  (Mk.  14:  8). 

364.     Review  Questions. 

I.  Name  the  first  three  chief  divisions  of  the  Life  of  Christ; 
also  the  subdivisions  of  each  and  give  the  date  of  the  three  chief 
and  their  subdivisions.  2.  Enumerate  the  events  of  each  subdivi- 
sion in  the  order  of  time.  3.  Of  the  Year  of  Opposition,  (a)  ex- 
plain the  name;  (b)  state  the  provinces  of  the  ministry;  (c)  the 
duration;  (d)  the  events  and  dates  of  the  beginning  and  the  end 
of  the  division;  (e)  the  two  subdivisions,  with  dates;  (f)  the 
sources  of  information  by  Gospels  and  chapters.  4.  Trace  the 
Lord's  movements  on  the  map  as  contained  in  the  first  and  second 
subdivisions  and  name  the  events  connected  with  each  place.  (To 
assist  the  memory,  group  the  events  as  follows :  I.  Feeding  of  the 
4,000;  transfiguration;  feast  of  Tabernacles.  II.  The  three  visits 
to  Jerusalem;  i.  to  the  feast  of  Dedication;  2.  to  the  raising  of 
Lazarus;  3.  from  Ephraim  to  Triumphal  Entry).     5.  Enumerate  in 


2IO  Life  of  Christ. 

chronological  order  the  more  notable  miracles.  6.  Give  in  the  order 
of  time  the  more  prominent  discourses;  also  the  parables  in  the 
order  spoken.  7.  Name  some  persons  with  whom  Jesus  came  in 
contact.  8.  What  was  the  general  attitude  of  the  rulers  and  the 
people  toward  Jesus  during  this  period?  9.  Name  some  prominent 
characteristics  of  this  period  as  to  amount  and  kind  of  work,  etc. 
10.  What  feasts  did  he  attend? 


DIVISION  V. 
The  Week  of  Passion. 

Palm  Sunday  to  Easter  Sunday,  April  2  to  April  9,  A.  D.  30. 

CHAPTER  40. 

The  Days  of  Triumph  and  of  Authority. 

Matt.  21:1-19;  Mk.  11:1-19;  Lu.  19:29-48;  Jno.  12:12- 
.    19.     Harmony  119-121. 

365.  The  Triumphal  Entry,  (i)  On  Sunday,  April  2, 
Jesus  and  his  disciples  drew  nigh  to  Jerusalem,  and  came 
unto  Bethphage,  unto  the  mount  of  Olives.  (2)  From  here 
he  sent  two  disciples,  saying,  Go  into  the  village  over 
against  you,  and  ye  shall  find  an  ass  tied,  and  a  colt  with 
her:  bring  them  unto  me.  If  any  one  say  aught,  ye  shall 
say,  The  Lord  hath  need  of  them ;  and  straightway  he  will 
send  them.  (3)  The  disciples  did  as  Jesus  appointed  them. 
(4)  Then  they  put  their  garments  on  the  animal  and  he  sat 
thereon.  (5)  The  multitude,  reenforced  by  people  coming 
from  Jerusalem,  spread  their  garments  in  the  way ;  others 
cut  branches  from  the  trees,  and  spread  them  in  the  way. 
And  the  multitudes  that  went  before  him,  and  that  followed, 
cried,  Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David :  Blessed  is  he  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ;  Hosanna  in  the  highest. 

366.  Attitude  of  the  Pharisees.  (i)  Some  of  the 
Pharisees  said,  Teacher,  rebuke  thy  disciples.  He  answered 
if  these  shall  hold  their  peace,  the  stones  will  cry  out.  (2) 
They  therefore  said  among  themselves.  Ye  prevail  nothing ; 
the  world  is  gone  after  him.  (3)  When  the  city  came  in 
sight,  probably  at  a  certain  turn  of  the  road,  Jesus  wept 

211 


212  Life  of  Christ. 

over  it,  saying,  If  thou  hadst  known  in  tliis  clay  the  things 
which  belong  unto  peace!  but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine 
eyes.  (4)  For  the  days  shall  come  when  thine  enemies 
shall  cast  up  a  bank  about  thee,  and  shall  dash  thee  to  the 
ground,  and  thy  children ;  and  shall  not  leave  thee  one  stone 
upon  another;  because  thou  knevvest  not  the  time  of  thy 
visitation.  (5)  When  he  was  come  into  Jerusalem,  all 
the  city  was  stirred,  saying,  Who  is  this?  The  multitudes 
said.  This  is  the  prophet,  Jesus,  from  Nazareth  of  Galilee. 
(6)  He  went  into  the  temple  and  when  he  had  looked  round 
about  upon  all  things,  it  being  now  eventide,  he  went  out 
unto  Bethany  with  the  twelve. 

367.  The  Cursing  of  the  Fig  Tree,  On  Monday  morn- 
ing, April  3,  as  he  returned  to  the  city,  he  hungered.  And 
seeing  a  fig  tree,  he  came  to  it  and  found  nothing  but  leaves 
only ;  then  he  saith,  Let  there  be  no  fruit  from  thee  hence- 
forward forever.  And  immediately  the  fig  tree  withered 
away. 

368.  Christ's  Work  in  the  Temple,  (i)  Second  Cleans- 
ing. Jesus  entered  into  the  temple  and  cast  out  all  them 
that  sold  and  bought  in  the  temple,  overthrew  the  tables  of 
the  money-changers,  and  the  seats  of  them  that  sold  the 
doves ;  saying.  It  is  written,  My  house  shall  be  called  a 
house  of  prayer:  but  ye  make  it  a  den  of  robbers.  (2) 
Healing  tJie  Sick.  The  blind  and  the  lame  came  to  him  in 
the  temple;  and  he  healed  them.  (3)  Praise  of  the  Chil- 
dren. But  when  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  saw  the 
wonderful  things  that  he  did.  and  the  children  that  were 
crying  in  the  temple,  Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David  ;  they  were 
moved  with  indignation,  and  said,  Hearest  thou  what  these 
are  saying?  Jesus  saith.  Yea:  did  ye  never  read.  Out  of 
the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected 
praise?  (4)  Hatred  of  the  Rulers.  The  chief  priests  and 
the  scribes  and  the  principal  men  of  the  people  sought  to 
destroy  him :  and  they  could  not  find  what  they  might  do ; 
for  the  people  all  hung  upon  him,  listening.  (5)  Every  day 
he  was  teaching  in  the  teni{)le;  and  every  n\'J^^\.  he  went  out, 


Life  of  Christ.  213 

and  lodged  in  mount  Olivet.  All  the  people  came  early  in 
the  morning  in  the  temple,  to  hear  him.  (6)  In  the  even- 
ing of  Monday,  he  returned  to  Bethany,  probably  to  his 
friends,  Lazarus,  Mary  and  Martha. 

369.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources, 
especially  Mt.  21:2  with  Mk.  11:2  and  Mt.  21:8  with  Jno.  12:13; 
locate  places  on  map  and  plan  of  Jerusalem;  memorize  Mt.  21:9. 
2.  About  one-third  of  the  combined  narratives  of  the  four  gospels 
is  concerned  with  the  last  week  of  Christ's  life  and  with  his  resur- 
rection. This  is  due  to  three  reasons:  (a)  Jesus  filled  the  closing 
days  with  intense  activity,  (b)  The  events  of  the  last  days  nat- 
urally impressed  themselves  most  deeply  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of 
his  disciples.  (c)  The  apostles  regarded  Christ's  death  as  of 
fundamental  importance  and  dwell  at  length  on  the  events  con- 
nected with  it.  3.  The  language  of  Christ  and  the  willingness  of 
the  owner  of  the  ass  to  accede  to  the  request  seem  to  indicate  that 
they  were  friends.  4.  "The  village"  in  Mark  11:2  is  possibly  Beth- 
phage  or  Bethany,  but  quite  as  likely  neither.  5.  Bethphage  has 
never  been  certainly  identified  but  it  was  on  the  Mount  of  Olives 
near  Bethan}'.  Some  scholars  have  regarded  it  as  the  name  not  of 
a  village  but  of  a  district.  The  name  means,  "House  of  Unripe 
Figs."  6.  This  entrance  into  the  city  of  the  great  king  was  the 
most  formal  assertion  of  his  Messianic  claims  yet  made.  7.  The 
pahii  branches  were  regarded  as  a  symbol  of  gladness  and  victory 
(Lev.  23:40  and  Rev.  7:9).  The  spreading  of  garments  was  a 
recognized  act  of  homage  (2  Kings  9:  13).  8.  Matt.  21 :  5  is  not  an 
exact  quotation,  but  is  the  substance  of  the  prophecy  in  Zech.  9 :  9. 

370.  I.  There  was  nothing  especially  humble  in  those  times 
in  riding  on  an  ass.  As  compared  with  walking  it  was  an  entrance 
in  state;  as  compared  with  riding  on  a  horse  it  was  a  peaceful  act 
typical  of  the  character  of  his  kingdom.  2.  Luke  19:43  and  44 
contains  a  striking  prediction  of  what  actually  happened  at  the  cap- 
ture of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans  under  Titus  in  70  A.  D.,  after  a 
most  terrible  siege.  A  "bank"  (A.  V.  "trench"),  was  a  palisade 
or  fortification  of  a  double  fence  of  stakes  and  branches  filled  in 
with  earth.  3.  Four  times  in  the  last  week  Christ  predicted  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  (a)  near  Jericho  (Parable  of  Pounds),  (b) 
here  on  Palm  Sunday,  (c)  on  Mt.  Olivet  on  Tuesday,  (d)  on  his 
way  to  Calvary.  4.  The  place  where  Jesus  wept  is  supposed  to 
have  been  that  bend  in  the  road  where  the  city  hitherto  hidden 
from  view,  suddenly  burst  upon  his  sight  in  all  its  grandeur. 
5.  Several  nicihts  in  the  passion  week  the  Lord  spent  at  Bethany. 
But  as  the  Lord  was  nungry  on  the  morning  of  the  cursing  of  the 


214  Life  of  Christ. 

fig  tree  (Monday)  it  has  been  supposed  that  he  spent  the  pre- 
ceding night  in  solitude  and  prayer  and  not  at  his  friends'  house; 
or  that  he  left  without  breakfast.  6.  This,  the  only  miracle  of  de- 
struction, was  not  an  outbreak  of  unholy  passion,  but  an  acted  par- 
able addressed  to  the  eye.  As  on  fig-trees  the  fruit  appears  before 
the  leaves,  this  tree  challenged  Jesus  to  refresh  himself.  When  he 
accepted  the  challenge  he  found  that  it  was,  like  other  trees  at  this 
time  ( Mk.  11:13),  without  fruit.  Its  fault  lay  in  pretending  to 
be  in  advance  of  other  trees.  The  tree  was  a  hypocrite,  and  this 
fact  made  it  a  type  of  Israel,  especially  in  that  very  point  which 
has  been  ignorantly  supposed  to  be  illogical,  namely,  that  "it  was 
not  yet  the  season  of  figs."  True;  but  neither  was  it  in  that  case 
the  season  for  leaves.  There  should  be  no  show  without  the  real- 
ity. Hence,  the  tree  was  cursed,  not  for  being  barren,  but  for  being 
false.  7.  This  second  cleansing  became  necessary  because  the  first 
(Jno.  2:13-17)  had  wrought  no  permanent  results  and  the  old 
abuses  were  restored  in  full  vigor.  Notice  the  Lord's  greater 
severity  in  action  and  words :  he  overthrew  the  seats  of  dove- 
sellers  and  used  the  term  "den  of  thieves."  8.  The  common  people 
being  so  largely  in  sympathy  with  Jesus,  the  leaders  feared  to  seize 
him  and  so  he  could  continue  his  public  teaching,  g.  This  is  the 
only  record  of  sick  being  brought  to  him  even  into  the  temple. 
10.  The  applause  of  these  children  should  not  be  confused  with 
that  of  the  people  on  Palm  Sunday.  These  children  probably  re- 
peated what  they  had  heard  the  day  before  at  the  time  of  the 
triumphal  entry.  11.  The  primary  meaning  of  Ps.  8:2  is  that  the 
children  wonder  at  the  marvels  of  creation. 

371.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Public  applause  is  fickle;  the  idol  of 
to-day  may  be  crucified  to-morrow.  2.  The  New  Testament  does 
not  mention  that  Jesus  ever  laughed,  but  it  reports  twice  that  he 
wept;  here  and  at  the  tomb  of  Lazarus.  What  inference  may  be 
drawn  from  this  fact?  3.  The  time  of  visitation  comes  in  one 
form  or  another  to  every  one — a  time  when  God  seems  very  near. 
Such  a  time  demands  immediate  action,  for  it  may  never  return. 

Z72.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  49  and  50;  Andrews,  p. 
429;  Stalker,  Ch.  6.  Stanley,  Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  193;  Trench, 
Miracles,  p.  440;  W.  J.  Bryan's  famous  lecture.  The  Prince  of 
Peace;  on  the  spreading  of  garments,  see.  The  Week  of  Passion, 
p.  152.  Paintings  by  Plockhorst  and  Deger;  on  the  Temple,  see 
Davis,  D.  B.,  p.  725. 

373.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  In  what  sense  did  the  tri- 
umphal entry  mark  a  new  policy  on  Christ's  part?  2.  What  would 
have  been  the  result  if  the  rulers  had  accepted  Jesus  as  the  Mes- 
siah? 3.  Show  proofs  for  two  cleansings  of  the  temple.  4.  Enu- 
merate times  of  visitation  in  the  individual,  in  church  and  national 
life. 


I.ife  of  Christ.  215 

CHAPTER  41. 

Last  Controversy  With  the  Rulers, 

Matt.  21 :  20-Ch.  23  ;  Alk.  11 :  20-12  :  40;  Lu.  20:  1-47  ;  Har- 
mony 122-127. 

374.  The  Fig  Tree  Withered.  On  Tuesday  morning, 
April  4  ("the  Day  of  Conflict"),  on  their  way  from  Beth- 
any to  Jerusalem,  they  passed  the  fig  tree,  and  Peter  said, 
Rabbi,  the  fig  tree  which  thou  cursedst  is  withered  away. 
Jesus  saith.  Have  faith  in  God.  Whosoever  shall  say  unto 
this  mountain.  Be  thou  taken  up  and  cast  into  the  sea ;  and 
shall  not  doubt  in  his  heart,  but  shall  believe  that  what  he 
saith  cometh  to  pass :  he  shall  have  it. 

375.  Christ's  Authority  Challenged,  (i)  When  he 
was  come  into  the  temple,  the  chief  priests  and  the  elders 
came  as  he  was  teaching,  and  said,  By  what  authority  doest 
thou  these  things?  (2)  Jesus  answered,  I  also  will  ask 
you  one  question,  which  if  ye  tell  me,  I  likewise  will  tell 
you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things.  The  baptism  of 
John,  whence  was  it?  from  heaven  or  from  men?  (3)  They 
reasoned  with  themselves,  If  we  shall  say,  From  heaven ; 
he  will  say.  Why  then  did  ye  not  believe  him?  But  if  we 
shall  say.  From  men ;  we  fear  the  multitude ;  for  all  hold 
John  as  a  prophet.  So  they  answered,  We  know  not.  (4) 
He  said.  Neither  tell  I  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these 
things. 

376.  Three  Parables  of  Warning,  (i)  In  order  to 
warn  the  rulers  of  their  fate,  if  they  continue  opposing 
God,  he  spoke  three  parables:  (a)  The  Two  Sons;  (b) 
The  Wicked  Husbandmen;  (c)  The  Marriage  of  the  King's 
Son.  (2)  The  application  of  the  second  parable  was  very 
pointed.  He  said,  The  Kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken 
away  from  you,  and  shall  be  given  to  a  nation  bringing 
forth  the  fruits  thereof.  (3)  He  that  falleth  on  this  stone 
shall   be   broken   to   pieces :   but   on    whomsoever   it   shall 


2i6  Ijfc  of  Christ. 

fall  it  will  scalier  iiini  as  du>l.  (4J  \\  hen  llic  chief  priests 
and  ihc  Pharisees  heard  his  ])aral)Ics,  they  perceived  that  he 
spake  of  them.  ]^)nt  when  they  sought  to  lay  hold  on  him, 
they  feared  the  multitudes,  because  they  took  him  for  a 
prophet. 

377.  Three  Catch  Questions,  (a)  About  the  Tribute- 
Money.  ( I )  Worsted  so  far  in  the  controversy,  the  Phar- 
isees and  Herodians  took  counsel  how  they  might  ensnare 
him  in  his  talk.  (2)  They  send  to  him  their  disciples  saying. 
Teacher,  we  know  that  thou  art  true,  and  teachest  the  way 
of  God  in  truth,  and  carest  not  for  any  one :  for  thou  re- 
gardest  not  the  person  of  men.  Tell  us  therefore,  Is  it  law- 
ful to  give  tribute  unto  C?esar,  or  not?  (3)  But  Jesus  per- 
ceived their  wickedness,  and  said,  Why  make  ye  trial  of 
me,  ye  hypocrites  ?  Show  me  the  tribute  money.  And  they 
brought  unto  him  a  denarius.  He  saith,  Whose  is  this 
image  and  superscription?  They  say,  Caesar's.  Then  he 
saith,  Render  unto  Ciesar  the  things  that  are  Cresar's ;  and 
unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's.  They  marvelled,  and 
left  him.  (b)  On  the  Resurrection,  (i)  On  the  same  day 
came  the  Sadducees  saying,  Teacher,  Moses  said,  If  a  man 
die  having  no  children,  his  brother  shall  marry  his  vv^ife,  and 
raise  up  seed  unto  his  brother.  (2)  Now  there  were  with 
us  seven  brethren:  and  the  first  married  and  deceased,  and 
having  no  seed  left  his  wife  unto  his  brother ;  in  like  man- 
ner the  second  unto  the  seventh.  After  them  all,  the  woman 
died.  Now  in  the  resurrection  whose  wife  shall  she  be  of 
the  seven?  (3)  Jesus  answered,  Ye  do  err,  not  knowing 
the  scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God.  (4)  For  in  the  resur- 
rection they  neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  but 
are  as  angels  in  heaven.  (5)  But  as  touching  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead,  have  ye  not  read  that  which  was  spoken 
unto  you  by  God,  saying,  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and 
the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob?  God  is  not  the 
God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living.  (6)  And  when  the  mul- 
titudes heard  it,  they  were  astonished  at  his  teaching,  (c) 
On  the   Great  Comuiandmcnt.      (i)    When  the   Pharisees 


L.ifc  of  Christ.  217 

heard  that  he  had  put  the  Sadducees  to  silence,  a  lawyer, 
trying  him,  asked,  Teacher,  wiiich  is  the  great  command- 
ment in  the  law?  (2)  He  said.  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  great  and  first  commandment. 
And  a  second  like  unto  it  is  this.  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself.  On  these  two  commandments  the  whole  law 
hangeth,  and  the  prophets.  (3)  This  impressed  even  the 
scribe  and  he  said.  Of  a  truth.  Teacher,  thou  hast  well 
said  that  he  is  one ;  and  there  is  none  other  but  he :  and  to 
love  him  and  one's  neighbor  is  much  more  than  sacrifices. 
(4)  When  Jesus  saw  that  he  answered  discreetly  he  said, 
Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  no  man 
after  that  durst  ask  him  any  question. 

378.  Christ's  Unanswerable  Question.  ( 1  )  When 
they  had  finished,  Jesus  asked  the  Pharisees  a  question : 
What  think  ye  of  the  Christ?  whose  son  is  he?  They  say, 
The  son  of  David.  (2)  He  saith.  How  then  doth  David 
call  him  Lord,  saying. 

The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord, 

Sit  thon  on  my  right  hand. 

Till  I  put  thine  enemies  underneath  thy  feet? 

If  David  calleth  him  Lord,  how  is  he  his  son? 
(3)   And  no  one  was  able  to  answer  him  a  word,  neither 
durst  any  man  from  that  day  forth  ask  him  any  more  ques- 
tions. 

379.  Woes  against  the  Rulers,  (i)  Then  spake  Jesus 
to  the  multitudes  and  to  his  disciples  against  the  rulers,  de- 
nouncing them  in  the  severest  terms  as  hypocrites.  (2)  He 
admits  that  they  sit  on  Moses'  seat :  all  things  whatsoever 
they  bid  you,  these  do,  but  do  not  ye  after  their  works ;  (3) 
They  are  tyrants,  for  they  bind  heavy  burdens  and  lay  them 
on  men's  shoulders ;  but  they  themselves  will  not  move  them 
with  their  finger.  (4)  They  are  hypocrites,  for  all  their 
works  they  do  to  be  seen  of  men :  for  they  make  broad  their 
phylacteries,  and  enlarge  the  borders  of  their  garments,  and 
love  the  chief  place  at  feasts,  and  the  chief  seats  in  the 
synagogues,  and  the  salutations  in  the  market-places,  and 
to  be  called  of  men,  Rabbi.     (5)     Ye  shut  the  kingdom  of 


2i8  Life  of  Christ. 

heaven  against  men :  for  ye  enter  not  in  yourselves,  neither 
suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering  in  to  enter.  (6)  Ye  com- 
pass sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte ;  and  when  he  is 
become  so,  ye  make  him  two  fold  more  a  son  of  hell  than 
yourselves.  (7)  Your  oaths  lead  to  immorality,  for  ye 
teach  that  whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  temple,  it  is  noth- 
ing; but  whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  gold  of  the  temple, 
he  is  a  debtor.  Ye  fools  and  blind :  which  is  greater,  the 
gold,  or  the  temple  that  hath  sanctified  the  gold?  And, 
whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  altar,  it  is  nothing;  but  who- 
soever shall  swear  by  the  gift  that  is  upon  it,  he  is  a  debtor. 
Ye  blind :  which  is  greater,  the  gift,  or  the  altar  that  sancti- 
fieth  the  gift?  (8)  Ye  tithe  mint  and  anise  and  cummin, 
and  have  left  undone  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  jus- 
tice, and  mercy,  and  faith :  but  these  ye  ought  to  have  done, 
and  not  to  have  left  the  other  undone.  Ye  blind  guides, 
that  strain  out  the  gnat,  and  swallow  the  camel !  (9)  Ye 
cleanse  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  the  platter,  but  within 
they  are  full  from  extortion  and  excess.  (10)  Ye  are  like 
unto  whited  sepulchres,  which  outwardly  appear  beautiful, 
but  inwardly  are  full  of  dead  men's  bones,  and  of  all  un- 
clcanness.  Ye  also  outwardly  appear  righteous  but  in- 
wardly ye  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity.  (11)  Ye  build 
the  sepulchres  of  the  prophets,  and  garnish  the  tombs  of 
the  righteous,  and  say,  If  we  had  been  in  the  days  of  our 
fathers,  we  should  not  have  been  partakers  with  them  in 
the  blood  of  the  prophets.  (12)  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem, 
that  killeth  the  prophets,  and  stoneth  them  that  are  sent 
unto  her !  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children 
together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under,  her 
wings,  and  ye  would  not ! 

380.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources,  locate 
places  on  map  and  plan  of  the  temple,  memorize,  Lu.  20:38.  2.  A 
comparison  between  this  acted  and  the  spoken  parable  of  the  fig 
tree  in  Luke  13 :  6-9,  shows  that,  according  to  the  latter,  the  Jewish 
people  had  still  a  little  time  for  repentance.  Judgment  is  threat- 
ened but  yet  in  the  future.  This  incident  foreshadows  the  fast  ap- 
proaching doom  of  the  nation.    3.  To  destroy  the  Lord's  influence 


Life  of  Christ.  219 

with  the  people  the  leaders  questioned  his  authority  for  his  course 
on  Monday,  and  his  teaching  in  general.  Jesus  silenced  them  with 
a  counter  question  to  which  they  could  not  answer  yes  or  no, 
without  either  stultifying  themselves  on  account  of  their  not  be- 
lieving John's  testimony  concerning  Christ,  or  bringing  upon  them 
the  hostility  of  the  people,  for  the  Baptist  still  had  a  firm  hold 
upon  them  and  it  continued  for  years.  (Acts  19:1-7.)  4.  Para- 
phrase of  Mt.  21 :  25  :  Was  John's  ministry,  including  his  testi- 
mony to  the  deputation  and  the  people  (Jn.  1:26)  from  God?  If 
you  say,  yes,  then  you  know  that  I  am  the  Messiah,  for  he  told 
you  so,  and  if  I  am  the  Messiah,  you  know  that  I  have  the  right 
to  cleanse  the  temple.  5.  Mt.  22 :  75  seems  to  indicate  that  a  formal 
council  was  held  for  making  plans  to  ensnare  Jesus.  6.  To  teach 
while  walking  about,  and  to  stop  a  teacher  and  ask  him  questions 
was  very  common  with  Rabbis  and  philosophers  ("Peripatetics"). 
7.  These  three  parables  were  spoken  in  the  temple.  For  the  first 
time  the  Lord  uttered  plainly  the  truth  in  the  hearing  of  the 
Pharisees  that  they  would  kill  him,  and  that  in  consequence  the 
kingdom  would  be  taken  from  them.  Their  only  reply  was  to  plot 
violence.  8.  The  Herodians  and  Pharisees  were  under  ordinary 
circumstances  mutual  enemies,  but  here,  as  on  several  other  occa- 
sions, they  were  united  by  the  danger  coming  from  a  greater  com- 
mon adversary.  9.  The  question  as  to  the  tribute  money  was  de- 
signed to  force  from  him  some  unpopular  or  treasonable  answer 
which  would  give  them  an  excuse  for  arresting  him.  An  af- 
firmative answer  would  have  been  incompatible  with  popular 
Messianic  ideals.  A  negative  answer  would  have  laid  him  open 
to  the  charge  of  treason  against  Rome  in  the  eyes  of  the  Herod- 
ians. His  answer  recognized  the  claims  both  of  Jehovah  and  Caesar. 
10.  The  coin  bore  the  head  of  Tiberius,  the  reigning  emperor  of 
Rome,  encircled  with  a  wreath  of  laurels;  and  the  inscription  run- 
ning around  was  "Tiberius  Ca;sar,  Divi  Augusti  filius  Augustus,  Im- 
perator."     (For  an  illustration  see  any  D.  of  B.) 

381.  I.  The  question  of  the  Sadducecs  was  intended  to  cast 
ridicule  both  upon  him  and  upon  the  Pharisees  by  showing  the  in- 
consistency and  absurdity  of  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection. 
Jesus  in  his  masterly  answer  simply  denied  the  truth  of  their 
premises  (that  the  earthly  relations  and  the  law  of  Moses  would  be 
binding  in  eternity),  and  by  so  doing  their  case  fell  to  the  ground. 
2.  Their  question  was  based  on  the  Levirate  law  (from  the  Latin, 
levir — brother-in-law)  in  Deut.  25  :  56,  the  object  of  which  was  to 
preserve  the  name  of  the  man  who  died  childless.  3.  The  grotesque 
illustration  of  the  woman  with  seven  husbands  had  no  doubt  been 
invented  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrec- 


220  Life  of  Christ. 

lion  ridiculous.  4.  The  Lord  leaches  llic  SaJducees  (a)  thai  earth- 
ly relations  cease  at  death  and  in  the  next  world  man  will  be  ex- 
alted to  a  higher  order  of  beings;  (b)  that  in  the  life  beyond  men 
were  not  governed  by  the  law  of  Moses,  for  their  new  natures  will 
determine  their  relations;  (c)  that  precisely  as  the  presence  of 
death  in  this  world  makes  marriage  necessary  for  the  perpetuation 
of  the  human  race,  so  the  absence  of  death  in  the  next  world 
makes  marriage  unnecessary.  5.  Jesus  found  immortality  at  the 
very  heart  of  the  Mosaic  law,  involved  in  the  distinctive  name  of 
God,  Yahveh,  the  living  one,  the  creative.  6.  The  lawyer's  question 
respecting  the  comparative  value  of  the  commandments  was  de- 
signed either  to  test  his  knowledge  of  the  law,  and  to  discredit  him 
in  the  eyes  of  the  people  in  case  he  could  not  answer,  or  to  mix 
him  up  in  the  controversies  of  the  scribes  on  this  question.  His 
answer  is  a  comprehensive  summing  up  of  the  Old  Testament  teach- 
ing. 7.  The  Jews  inferred  that  because  the  Messiah  was  David's 
son  his  coming  would  signify  the  restoration  of  David's  political 
kingdom.  To  correct  this  narrow  view  Christ  shows  that  David 
himself  considered  him  a  higher  being  by  calling  him  "Lord."  8. 
According  to  Matthew  23 : 3  Jesus  did  not  desire  to  bring  about  an 
abrupt  break  with  the  rulers  in  Israel,  but  rather  that  the  people 
should  follow  them  till,  under  the  influence  of  his  own  teaching 
and  of  providential  circumstances,  better  leaders  should  arise.  9. 
The  malice  veiled  under  the  show  of  righteousness  explains  the  ter- 
rible severity  of  Christ's  language.  10.  It  is  not  certain  who  the 
Zacharias  son  of  Barachias  of  Matt.  23 :  35  was.  Many  identify 
him  with  Zachariah,  son  of  Jehoiada,  "who  was  stoned  at  the  com- 
mandment of  the  king  in  the  court  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,"  (2 
Chron.  24:20  and  21).  11.  Phylacteries  were  small  leather  cases 
bound  to  the  forehead  or  left  arm  and  containing  four  texts  (Ex. 
13:1-10,  11-16;  Deut.  6:4-9;  11:13-21)  written  on  parchment.  By 
their  varying  size  they  were  supposed  to  measure  the  wearer's  zeal. 
They  were  also  called  "frontlets"  (Ex.  13:  16;  Deut.  6:8).  12.  The 
borders  of  their  garments  were  the  fringes  or  tassels  which  all 
Jews  were  commanded  to  wear  (Num.  15:38).  By  enlarging  these 
things  the  Pharisees  pretended  to  be  very  pious.  13.  As  touching 
a  dead  body  or  sepulchre  made  one  ceremonially  unclean,  graves 
were  covered  with  slabs  of  stone  which  were  whitewashed  on  the 
outside  so  that  people  would  see  them  and  keep  away  from  them. 
Hence  the  term,  "wbited  sepulchres." 

382.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  In  its  mod' rn  application  the  parable 
of  the  two  sons  teaches,  not  that  there  is  more  hope  for  a  fla- 
grant sinner  than  for  a  virtuous  man,  but  that  the  flagrant  sinner 
who   forsakes   his  sins   enters   the  kingdom  of   heaven  before  the 


Life  of  Christ.  221 

orthodox  man  who  clings  to  his  sins.  The  first  son  is  commended, 
not  because  of  the  daring  v/ickedness  of  his  reply,  but  because  he 
regretted  it  and  showed  his  regret  by  his  action.  2.  The  parable 
of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen  teaches  that  unfaithfulness  puts  indi- 
viduals and  nations  in  danger  of  losing  God's  gifts  altogether. 
3.  Luther,  in  his  famous  book  "Admonition  to  my  Beloved  Ger- 
mans" says :  "What's  gone,  is  gone ;  the  Jews  had  Christ,  but  they  re- 
jected him  and  they  are  now  scattered  abroad;  Greece  had  the 
pure  Gospel,  but  now  they  have  the  Turks ;  Rome  and  the  Latin 
nations  had  the  truth,  but  now  they  have  the  pope ;  Germany  has 
now  its  great  opportunity,  but  unfaithfulness  will  drive  it  away." 
("Hin  ist  hin!")  4.  The  Parable  of  the  Marriage  of  the  King's 
Son  teaches  that  it  is  not  sufficient  to  be  a  member  of  the  visible 
Church,  for  many  within  the  pale  of  the  Church  will  not  be  owned 
by  God,  because  they  despise  the  mercies  of  the  Covenant.  (Matt. 
6:21.)  5.  The  guest  without  the  wedding  garment  represents  those 
who  profess  Christ  but  do  not  make  progress  in  holiness.  6.  Nature 
says.  Love  thyself  alone;  domestic  education  says.  Love  your  fam- 
ily ;  the  nation  says,  Love  your  country ;  Christ  insists.  Love  all 
mankind.  7.  The  tendency  of  a  formal  and  lifeless  religion  is  al- 
ways to  multiply  needless  burdens,  such  as  (a)  vexatious  ob- 
servances and  rites;  (b)  difficult  doctrines  as  essential  to  salva- 
tion; (c)  fancied  duties.  8.  It  is  better  to  make  no  profession  at 
all  than  to  practice  hypocrisy.  9.  Professional  religious  guides 
are  often  blinder  to  religious  truth  than  the  people  whom  they  pro- 
fess to  lead.  (Matt.  21 :  26.)  10.  Christianity  should  be  judged  by 
what  it  accomplishes  in  the  best  of  its  followers  and  not  by  its 
misrepresentations  in  hypocrites.  (Mk.  23:13-31.)  11.  No  pious 
appearance  can  take  the  place  of  holy  living. 

383.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.,  51  and  52;  Stalker,  Ch. 
6;  Andrews,  p.  438;  on  the  authority  to  teach,  see  Edersheim's  L. 
of  C,  n,  p.  381 ;  on  Immortality,  see  Fairbairn's  Studies  in  the  Life 
of  Christ,  p.  236;  on  hypocrisy,  see  Hast.  D.  of  C.  I,  765;  Salmond. 
Christian  Doctrine  of  Immortality;  Charles,  Critical  Hist,  of  the 
Doctrine  of  the  Future  Life. 

384.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Why  did  the  disciples  not 
notice  on  their  return  on  Monday  that  the  tree  was  withered? 
2.  How  did  Christ's  question  convey  an  answer  to  that  of  the 
rulers  concerning  his  authority?  3.  What  does  Jesus  teach  as  to 
politics?  4.  Why  did  he  ask  the  Pharisees  to  hand  him  a  coin,  in- 
stead of  using  one  of  his  own?  5.  When  quoting  O.  T.  books  by 
the  name  of  the  author  does  Jesus  attempt  to  give  definite  teach- 
ing as  to  the  avithorship  of  such  writings?  Did  Jesus  show  abil- 
ity as  a  debater? 


222  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  42. 

Last  Experiences  in  the  Temple  and  Discourse  on  the 
Last  Things. 

Mk.  12:41-14:11;  Lu.  21:1-22:6;  Matt.  24-26:16;  Jno. 
12:20-50.     Harmony  128-132. 

385.  The  Widow's  Two  Mites,  (i)  At  the  close  of 
these  exciting  controversies,  which  probably  took  place  in 
the  court  of  the  Gentiles,  Jesus  retired  to  the  court  of  the 
women  and  sat  over  against  the  treasury,  and  beheld  how 
the  multitude  cast  money  into  the  treasury.  (2)  Many  rich 
cast  in  much,  and  a  poor  widow  cast  in  two  mites.  (3)  He 
called  his  disciples,  and  said,  This  poor  widow  cast  in  more 
than  all,  for  they  all  did  cast  in  of  their  superfluity ;  but 
she  of  her  want,  all  that  she  had. 

386.  Greeks  Seeking  Jesus.  (i)  While  Jesus  was 
still  resting  in  the  court  of  the  women,  proselytes  of  Greek 
nationality,  probably  from  Decapolis,  asked  Philip,  of 
iJethsaida,  Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus.  Philip  telleth  Andrew 
and  both  tell  Jesus.  (2)  Jesus  ansvvereth.  The  hour  is 
come  that  the  Son  of  man  should  be  glorified.  Except  a 
grain  of  wheat  fall  into  the  earth  and  die,  it  abideth  by  it- 
self alone;  but  if  it  die,  it  beareth  much  fruit.  (3)  Now  is 
my  soul  troubled;  and  what  shall  I  say?  Father,  save  me 
from  this  hour.  But  for  this  cause  came  I  unto  this  hour. 
Father,  glorify  thy  name.  (4)  There  came  a  voice  out  of 
heaven,  I  have  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again.  (5) 
The  multitude  said  that  it  had  thundered :  others  said,  An 
angel  hath  spoken  to  him.  (6)  Jesus  said.  This  voice  hath 
not  come  for  my  sake,  l)Ut  for  your  sakes.  Now  is  the  judg- 
ment of  this  world ;  now  shall  the  prince  of  this  world  be 
cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw 
all  men  unto  myself.  (7)  But  this  he  said,  signifying  by 
what  manner  of  death  he  should  die.  (8)  The  multitude 
answered,  We  have  heard  that  th.e  Christ  abideth  for  ever: 


Life  of  Christ.  223 

(9)  Jesus  said,  Yet  a  little  while  is  the  light  among  you. 

(10)  While  ye  have  the  light,  believe  on  the  light,  that  ye 
may  become  sons  of  light. 

387.  Leaving  the  Temple.  ( i )  When  Jesus  had  spoken 
these  things  he  departed  from  the  temple,  never  to  return, 
and  hid  himself  from  them.  (2)  But  though  he  had  done 
so  many  signs  before  them,  yet  they  believed  not  on  him : 
that  the  word  of  Isaiah  might  be  fulfilled, 

Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  report? 

And  to  whom  hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed  ? 

(3)  Nevertheless  even  of  the  rulers  many  believed  on  him; 
but  because  of  the  Pharisees  they  did  not  confess  it,  lest 
they  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue :  for  they  loved 
the  glory  that  is  of  men  more  than  the  glory  that  is  of  God. 

(4)  And  as  he  was  walking  out  of  the  temple  Jesus  cried. 
He  that  believeth  on  me,  believeth  not  on  me,  but  on  him 
that  sent  me.  (5)  If  any  man  hear  my  sayings,  and  keep 
them  not,  I  judge  him  not:  for  I  came  not  to  judge  but  to 
save  the  world.  He  hath  one  that  judgeth  him :  the  word 
that  I  spake,  shall  judge  him  in  the  last  day.  (6)  For  I 
spake  not  from  myself ;  but  the  Father  that  sent  me,  hath 
given  me  a  commandment,  what  I  should  say. 

388.  Discourse  on  the  Last  Things,  ( i )  It  was  Tues- 
day, towards  evening  when  Jesus  left  the  temple.  (2)  As 
they  were  ascending  Mt.  Olivet  the  disciples,  pointing  to 
the  sun-bathed  temple,  said.  Master,  behold,  what  manner  of 
stones  and  what  manner  of  buildings !  Jesus  answered. 
There  shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon  another.  (3)  When 
Jesus  had  sat  down  on  Mt.  Olivet,  Peter,  James,  John  and 
Andrew  asked  him  privately  three  questions :  When  shall 
these  things  be,  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coming, 
and  the  sign  of  the  end  of  the  world?  (4)  The  Lord's 
answer  may  be  analysed  as  follows : 

I.     Events  which  precede  the  End  (Mt.  24:4-18)  :. 

(i)  False  Messiahs:  Take  heed  that  no  man  lead  you 
astray.  For  many  shall  come  saying,  I  am  the  Christ;  (2) 
Wars  and  famines:    Ye  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumors  of 


224  Life  of  Christ. 

wars ;  there  shall  be  famines  and  earthquakes.  But  all  these 
things  are  the  beginning  of  travail.  (3)  Persecutions  and 
false  prophets:  Then  shall  they  deliver  you  up  unto  tribu- 
lation, and  shall  kill  you :  and  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  the 
nations  for  my  name's  sake.  And  then  shall  many  deliver 
up  one  another.  Many  false  prophets  shall  arise,  and  shall 
lead  many  astray.  Iniquity  shall  be  multiplied  and  the  love 
of  the  many  shall  wax  cold.  (4)  This  gospel  of  the  king- 
dom shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world  for  a  testimony 
unto    all    the    nations ;    and    then    shall    the    end    come. 

II.  The  Sign  of  the  Approach  of  the  End    (Matt.  24 :  15)  ; 
This  sign  is  the  abomination  of  desolation   (most  likely 

the  Roman  army)  which  was  spoken  of  through  Daniel  the 
prophet,  standing  in  the  holy  place  (let  him  that  readeth 
understand). 

III.  Warning  against  Delay  when  the  sign  appears  (Matt, 

24:  16-18)  .• 
Let  them  that  are  in  Judcca  flee  unto  the  mountains :  let 
him  that  is  on  the  housetop  not  go  down  to  take  out  the 
things  that  are  in  his  house :  and  let  him  that  is  in  the  field 
not  return  back  to  take  his  cloak. 

IV.  Terrors  of  tliose  Days  (Matt.  24:  19-22)  : 

Then  shall  be  great  tribulation,  such  as  hath  not  been 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world  until  now,  no,  nor  ever 
shall  be.  And  except  those  days  had  been  shortened,  no 
flesh  would  have  been  saved :  but  for  the  elect's  sake  those 
days  shall  be  shortened. 

V.  Warning  against  the  Supposition  that  then  the  Son  of 
Man  shall  come  (Mt.  24:23-28)  : 

(i)  Then  if  any  man  shall  say,  Lo,  here  is  the  Christ, 
or.  Here ;  believe  it  not.  For  there  shall  rise  false  Christs, 
and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show  great  signs  and  won- 
ders;  so  as  to  lead  astray,  if  possible,  even  the  elect.  (2) 
For  as  the  lightning  cometh  forth  from  the  east,  and  is 
seen  even  unto  the  west ;  so  shall  be  the  coming  of  the 
Son  of  man.  Wheresoever  the  carcase  is,  there  will  the 
eagles  be  gathered  together. 


Life  of  Christ.  225 

VI.  The  Manner  of  Christ's  Second  Coming  (Alt.  24:29- 

31): 
(i)  But  immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those  days 
the  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give 
her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the 
powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken:  (2)  Then  shall 
appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven :  and  then 
shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see 
the  Son  of  man  coming  on  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
and  great  glory.  (3)  And  he  shall  send  forth  his  angels 
with  a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  to- 
gether his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of 
heaven  to  the  other. 

VII.  llie  time  of  Christ's  Coming  (Mt.  24:32-36)  : 

( I )  From  the  fig  tree  learn  her  parable :  when  her  branch 
putteth  forth  its  leaves,  ye  know  that  the  summ.er  is  nigh  ; 
so  when  ye  see  all  these  things,  know  ye  that  he  is  at  the 
doors.  (2)  This  generation  shall  not  pass  away,  till  all 
these  things  be  accomplished.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass  away.  (3)  But  of  the 
exact  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  one,  not  even  the  angels  of 
heaven,  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father  only. 

VIII.  Condition  of  the  World  at  Christ's  Coming  (Mat. 

24:37-44)  : 
(i)  As  were  the  days  of  Noah,  so  shall  be  the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  man.  They  were  eating  and  drinking, 
marrying  and  giving  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noah 
entered  into  the  ark,  and  the  flood  took  them  all  away. 
(2)  Then  shall  two  men  be  in  the  field;  one  is  taken,  and 
one  is  left :  two  women  shall  be  grinding  at  the  mill ;  one 
is  taken,  and  one  is  left.  Watch  therefore :  for  ye  know 
not  on  what  day  your  Lord  cometh.  (3)  But  know  this, 
that  if  the  master  of  the  house  had  known  in  what  watch 
the  thief  was  coming,  he  would  have  watched.  There- 
fore be  ye  also  ready ;  for  in  an  hour  that  ye  think  not  the 
Son  of  man  cometh. 


226  Life  of  Christ. 

JX.     Dcscriplicni  of  the  Judgment  upon  four  classes  (Matt. 
24:45-25:46): 
(i)  Judgment  upon  Christ's  Servants  (Matt.  24:45-51)  : 

(a)  Blessed  is  that  servant,  whom  his  lord  when  he  cometh 
shall  find  faithful;  he  will  set  him  over  all  that  he  hath. 

(b)  But  if  that  evil  servant  shall  say  in  his  heart,  My  lord 
tarricth ;  and  shall  begin  to  beat  his  fellow-servants,  and 
shall  eat  and  drink,  the  lord  of  that  servant  shall  come  in  a 
day  when  he  expccteth  not,  and  shall  appoint  his  portion 
with  the  hypocrites:  there  shall  be  the  weeping  and  the 
gnashing  of  teeth.  (2)  Judgment  upon  the  Church  as  a 
whole.  See  the  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins  (Mt.  25:  i-ii). 
(3)  Judgment  upon  the  individual.  See  the  parable  of  The 
Talents  (Mt.  25:14-30).  (4)  Judgment  upon  the  world. 
See  the  thrilling  word  picturs  in  Matt.  25:31-46). 

3S9.  Conspiracy  against  Jesus.  {1)  Fourth  announce- 
ment of  Christ's  death.  When  he  had  finished  the  great 
discourse  on  the  last  things  he  said  unto  his  disciples,  Ye 
know  that  after  two  days  the  passover  cometh,  and  the 
Son  of  man  is  delivered  up  to  be  crucified.  (2)  Plan  of 
the  Sanliedrin.  Probably  on  the  same  Tuesday  evening, 
there  were  gathered  the  chief  priests,  and  the  elders,  unto 
the  court  of  the  high  priest  Caiaphas;  and  took  counsel 
that  they  might  take  Jesus  by  subtlety,  and  kill  him.  But 
they  said,  Not  during  the  feast,  lest  a  tumult  arise  among 
the  people.  (3)  TJie  offer  of  Judas.  Either  when  Jesus 
left  the  temple  or  after  the  discourses,  Judas  Iscariot.  went 
unto  the  chief  priests,  and  said.  What  are  ye  v;illing  to 
give  me,  and  I  will  deliver  him  unto  you?  And  they 
weighed  unto  him  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  From  that  time 
he  sought  opportunity  to  deliver  him.  (4)  The  Quiet  of 
Wednesday.  There  is  no  record  of  this  day.  It  is  generally 
assumed  that  Jesus  and  the  Twelve  spent  it  in  quietness 
with  the  friends  at  Bethany. 

390.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  the  sources 
especially  of  the  eschatological  discourses ;  locate  the  places  on 
the  map  of  Jerusalem  and  the  plan  of  the  temple;  memorize  Mt. 


Life  of  Christ.  227 

24 :  35.  2.  Tzvo  miles  v/ere  about  equal  to  three-fifths  of  a  cent, 
or  about  one-fortieth  of  a  laborer's  day's  wages.  3.  The  women's 
court  was  so  called,  not  because  reserved  to  women  only,  but  be- 
cause women  might  not  go  further.  (Just  as  the  "Court  of  Gen- 
tiles.") 4.  Before  the  Passover  free  will  offerings,  in  addition  to 
the  half  shekel  temple  tax,  were  generally  received.  5.  The  term 
indicates  that  these  Greeks  were  not  Hellenists  (Greek-speaking 
Jews)  but  Gentiles,  probably  proselytes  of  the  gate  who  had  come 
to  the  passover.  As  the  two  apostles  with  Greek  names  intro- 
duced them  to  Jesus,  it  has  been  supposed  that  they  came  from 
the  region  of  Decapolis  and  that  Philip  and  Andrew  had  some  inti- 
mate connection  with  them,  and  the  Greek  speaking  population  of 
that  region.  6.  Sepp,  a  Catholic  theologian,  regards  these  Greeks 
as  deputies  of  Abgarus,  king  of  Edessa,  of  whom  there  is  a  spuri- 
ous correspondence  with  Jesus  in  existence.  A  legend  says,  that 
Jesus  gave  them  a  letter  and  his  picture  for  the  king.  7.  As  they 
requested  a  private  interview  it  has  been  conjectured  that,  having 
witnessed  the  bitter  attacks  of  the  rulers  during  the  day,  they 
decided  to  invite  him  to  preach  to  the  Gentiles.  At  any  rate  their 
visit  proved  a  great  comfort  to  Jesus,  for  they  just  came  when  Jesus 
felt  most  keenly  the  bitterness  of  being  "despised  and  rejected  of 
men,"  and  it  was  an  assurance  of  the  Gentiles'  readiness.  8.  Three 
times  the  Father  bore  audible  witness  to  his  Son :  at  his  baptism, 
at  the  transfiguration  and  here. 

391.  I.  The  disciples  were  justly  proud  of  their  temple  for  it 
was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  buildings,  and  when  bathed  in  the  set- 
ting sun  its  gold  and  ornaments  must  have  made  an  enchanting  im- 
pression. 2.  Some  of  the  stones  in  the  outer  temple  wall  were  of 
enormous  size ;  one  over  tliirty-seven  feet  long,  and  large  in  propor- 
tion, still  remains;  also  several  others  nearly  as  large.  3.  The  Jews 
divided  the  history  of  the  world  into  two  parts :  the  time  before 
the  coming  of  the  Messiah  to  set  up  His  glorious  earthlj'  kingdom, 
and  the  time  after  His  coming.  By  the  "end  of  the  world,"  or 
"age"  (as  it  should  be  translated),  the  disciples  meant  the  end  of 
the  former  of  these  two  periods.  They  were  anxious  to  know  when 
His  kingdom  would  begin.  His  reply  showed  how  widely  different 
His  idea  of  the  future  was  from  theirs.  4.  Mt.  24:2  has  been  ful- 
filled with  terrible  accuracy.  There  is  only  one  stone  of  which  it 
is  certain  that  it  belonged  to  that  temple.  That  is  a  block  of  mar- 
ble from  the  screen  that  separated  the  inner  courts  from  the  court 
of  the  Gentiles.  The  inscription  warns  Gentiles  to  go  no  further 
on  penalty  of  death.  The  stone  is  now  in  the  museum  at  Constanti- 
nople. 5.  The  eschatological  (Greek:  "eschatos-last)  discourses 
treat  of   two  subjects:   the  destruction  of   Jerusalem   and   Christ's 


228  Life  of  Christ. 

second  coming.  But  it  has  always  proved  one  of  the  greatest  ex- 
egetical  difficulties  to  ascertain  what  portions  relate  to  each  event 
and  what  relation  of  time  the  two  events  sustain  to  each  other. 
Certain  points  seem  to  indicate  that  Jesus  thought  of  his  advent 
as  indefinitely  remote,  e.  g. ;  the  gospel  must  be  extensively  preach- 
ed;  the  reference  to  the  time  of  the  Gentiles  during  which  Jeru- 
salem would  be  trodden  down  (Luke  21  :  24)  ;  the  prophecy  of  many 
wars,  and  of  many  false  prophets;  the  declaration  that  these  things 
were  only  the  beginning  of  the  travail  pains  (Mark  13:  4-8).  Other 
passages  seem  to  represent  the  advent  as  quite  near:  e.  g.  Matt. 
24 :  42,  "Watch  therefore ;  for  ye  know  not  on  what  day  your 
Lord  cometh;"  Matt.  190:23  which  states  that  he  will  come  be- 
fore the  disciples  shall  have  finished  the  evangelization  of  Pales- 
tine. Dr.  Sheldon  thinks  that  the  evangelists  in  compiling  these 
sayings  of  Christ,  either  by  omission  or  imperfect  arrangement,  have 
obscured  the  original  connection  of  some  of  his  words.  6.  Among 
the  many  interpretations  of  these  discourses  we  mention  three: 
(a)  the  first  part  predicts  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  70,  and  the 
second  part  foretells  the  end  of  this  age  and  Christ's  second  com- 
ing at  a  remote  future.  The  difficulty  of  this  interpretation  con- 
sists in  the  fact  that  according  to  Mt.  24:29  the  two  parts  of  the 
drama  will  follow  each  other  '"immediately,"  and  according  to  Mk. 
13:24  both  fall  within  the  same  period,  (b)  Christ  expected  both 
parts  to  be  fulfilled  in  his  generation.  This  would  involve  an 
error  in  Christ's  teaching  and  should  therefore  be  rejected,  (c) 
The  first  part  was  fulfilled  A.  D.  70,  and  the  coming  of  Christ  is 
to  be  taken  spiritually  of  his  coming  at  his  resurrection  or  on 
Pentecost.  This  interpretation  harmonizes  with  John's  Gospel, 
which  always  speaks  of  Christ's  second  coming  as  being  of  a  spir- 
itual nature.  According  to  this  interpretation  the  "signs"  are  not 
events  but  figurative  descriptions  of  the  greatness  of  the  doom  of 
God's  judgment  such  as  are  found  in  O.  T.  imagery  (Isa.  13:  10; 
34:4;  Ezek.  32:7,  8;  Joel  2:30,  31;  3:15).  7.  Mt.  26:64  shows 
(a)  that  there  is  a  sense  in  which  the  coming  of  Christ  is  not  a 
single  event,  (b)  that  it  was  to  begin  with  the  very  day  of  Christ's 
departure,  (c)  that  he  is  to  assume  power  in  heaven  and  exercise 
it  on  earth  by  interferences  in  the  world's  history,  beginning  with 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  8.  Some  have  tried,  to  harmonize 
both  classes  of  passages  in  the  discourses  on  the  last  things  by 
saying  that  Christ  looked  upon  his  advent  as  a  process  rather  than 
as  one  definite  historical  event,  and  that  he  gave  to  his  disciples 
two  scenes  out  of  that  long  process,  viz :  its  beginning,  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem  falling  within  the  present  generation  and  the 
culmination   of   the   process,   his   coming,   the   time   of   which    was 


Life  of  Christ.  229 

known  to  the  Father  onl}'.  9.  After  indescribable  suffering  and 
cruelty  Jerusalem  was  taken  on  Aug.  10,  A.  D.  70.  Josephus  says, 
"If  the  miseries  of  mankind  from  the  creation  were  compared  with 
those  which  the  Jews  then  suffered,  they  would  appear  inferior." 
He  also  tells  us  that  1,100,000  Jews  perished  during  this  war  and 
siege,  and  that  all  the  97,000  miserable  survivors  who  were  captured 
when  the  city  fell  were  either  slain  or  sold  as  slaves.  The  "elect" 
(vs.  22)  were  the  Jewish  Christians  who  would  be  in  Jerusalem 
at  that  time.  10.  The  Greek  "parosia"  means  literallj^  "presence"  as 
opposed  to  absence.  But  as  his  presence  is  made  possible  only  by 
his  coming,  the  latter  translation  is  also  correct.  The  expression 
"second  coming"  is  not  found  in  the  Bible. 

392.  I.  The  plans  of  the  Sanhedrin  agreed  upon  at  this  meeting 
(to  arrest  Jesus  "not  during  the  feast")  were  soon  afterwards 
changed  because  of  the  ofifer  of  Judas  who  seems  to  have  entered 
into  the  room  towards  the  close  of  their  session.  With  his  aid 
they  believed  to  be  able  to  do  that  which  they  had  a  little  while 
ago  judged  impossible,  viz :  to  arrest  Jesus  during  the  feast  with- 
out causing  an  uproar.  Now  they  agreed  to  leave  the  details  as 
to  the  opportune  time,  etc.,  to  Judas.  They  may  also  have  taken 
into  account  that  after  the  feast  he  might  escape  as  he  had  often 
done  before.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  in  all  accounts  Judas  and  not 
the  Sanhedrin  takes  the  initiative.  2.  Thirty  shekels  (120  denarius) 
was  the  value  of  a  slave.  As  one  denarius  was  at  that  time  the 
wages  for  a  day's  labor  (Matt.  20:2),  30  shekels  amounted  to  4 
months  wages.  3.  Among  the  motives  which  led  Judas  to  the  be- 
trayal we  may  give  prominence  to  five:  (a)  avarice,  which  led  to 
(b)  embezzlement  of  trust  funds  (Jno.  12:6);  (c)  disappointment 
of  his  Messianic  expectations;  (d)  gradual  growth  of  hostility  to- 
ward Jesus,  as  he  became  aware,  through  Christ's  rebukes  (Jno. 
6:70;  12:6)  that  his  real  character  was  known;  (e)  anger,  be- 
cause he  came  to  believe  that  Jesus,  by  misrepresentations,  had  in- 
duced him  to  follow  him. 

393.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  God  has  regard  not  only  to  what  a 
man  gives,  but  to  what  he  keeps.  2.  Gentiles  were  present  at  the 
Lord's  manger,  on  his  last  visit  to  the  temple  and  at  his  cross. 
3.  The  world  gains  little  or  nothing  from  those  who  live  for  them- 
selves. It  is  the  unplanted  seed  that  remains  unfruitful.  4.  The 
law  of  the  seed  is  the  law  of  human  life.  5.  Use  your  life  for 
selfish  gratification  and  you  lose  it  forever;  spend  it  for  the  com- 
mon good  and  it  will  find  its  highest  development  and  exert  the 
most  enduring  influence.  6.  Longfellow's  Psalm  of  Life:  "Lives 
of  great  men  all  remind  us  we  can  make  our  lives  sublime,  etc.'* 
7.  Christ  promises  an  immortality  of  influence,  but  also  an  immor- 


230  lAfe  of  Christ. 

tality  of  personal  life.  8.  Great  are  the  blessings  from  Christ's 
life,  but  greater  those  from  his  death.  9.  The  aim  of  the  discourse 
on  the  last  things  is  not  to  gratify  curiosity  respecting  the  future, 
but  to  inculcate  watchfulness  and  service.  10.  Every  great  reli- 
gious movement  whereby  Christ's  kingdom  is  advanced  may  be 
regarded  as  a  coming  of  Christ.  11.  Every  age  begets  religious 
imposters  who  enrich  themselves  by  leading  people  astray  (Dowie, 
Mrs.  Eddy)  Matt.  24:4.  12.  The  more  preposterous  and  shameless 
the  claims  of  deceivers,  the  more  readily  they  seem  to  win  follow- 
ers. 13.  Kant's  famous  proof  of  a  final  judgment  is  as  follows: 
major  premise — conscience  demands  that  every  one  should  receive 
his  due;  minor  premise — but  in  this  world  virtue  is  often  crucified 
and  vice  is  crowned;  conclusion — therefore  reason  demands  that 
there  be  a  final  righteous  judgment  by  an  incorruptible  judge.  14. 
Commotions  in  the  political,  religious,  social  and  industrial  world 
are  often  signs  of  the  advancement  of  God's  kingdom.  15.  Schiller's 
famous  saying,  "Die  Weltgeschichte  ist  das  Weltgerichte"  (The 
world's  history  is  the  world's  judgment)  is  only  partially  true. 
16.  Talents  are  given  according  to  natural  ability.  He  who  re- 
ceives one  talent  is  just  as  perfectly  equipped  for  his  work  as  the 
others.  Unfaithfulness  narrows  the  vessel,  and  fidelity  has  the 
tendency  to  enlarge  it,  so  that  one  with  inferior  natural  gifts  will 
often  bring  in  a  more  abundant  return  than  another  with  superior 
gifts.  17.  The  doom  of  the  slothful  servant  is  a  warning  to  those 
who  choose  "a  goodness  solitary  and  particular  rather  than  gen- 
erative and  seminal"  (Lord  Bacon).  St.  Augustine  on  the  anni- 
vcrsar}'  of  his  installation  as  Bishop  of  Hippo  in  North  Africa 
(died  430)  preached  on  this  feature  of  the  parable  and  spoke  of 
the  temptation  to  withdraw  from  active  labor  in  the  Church,  and 
cultivate  a  solitary  piety.  18.  The  reward  of  the  faithful  worker  is 
not  merely  that  he  receives  more,  and  the  punishment  of  the  sloth- 
ful servant  is  not  only  that  he  loses,  but  the  very  gift  which  the 
one  forfeits  the  other  obtains.  Continually  we  see  men  taking  hold 
of  opportunities  which  others  neglected.  (Esau:  Gen.  25:34;  27: 
36.  Also  Gen.  49:4,  8;  i  Sam.  16:1-13;  i  Kings  2:35;  Acts  i: 
25;  Rom.  II :  II.) 

394.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  53,  54;  Andrews,  p. 
443;  Stalker,  §  146;  on  the  "Abomination"  sec  Davis,  D.  B. ;  Hast. 
D.  of  C,  I,  6;  on  false  Christs:  Davis  D.  B. ;  Hast.  D.  of  C,  L  574; 
on  eschatologj%  Hast.  D.  of  C,  i,  525;  on  the  treasury,  Hast.  D.  C. 
n,  748.  Sanford  on  eschatology;  Herzog  H,  Chiliasmus;  on  the 
interpretation  of  Matt.  24  and  25  see  Internat.  Crit.  Com.  on  Mk. 
by  Gould,  p.  240;  Steven's  N.  T.  Theol.,  p.  150;  Sheldon's  N.  T. 
Theol.,  p.  119;  Moffat,  Hist.  N.  Test.,  p.  641;  Haupt,  Die  eschatol- 


Life  of  Christ.  231 

ogischen  Aussagen  Jesu,  p.  22,  45;  on  the  second  coming  viewed 
Jis  a  process,  see  Clark,  Christ.  Theol.,  p.  390;  on  the  probable 
date  of  the  flight  of  the  Christians  to  Pella,  see  Hanna.  Life  of  C, 
p.  561 ;  on  the  view  of  Jerusalem  from  Mt.  Olivet  see  Milman's 
Hist,  of  Christianity,  I,  p.  294,  quoted  by  Maclear  N.  T.  Hist.  p. 
276;  on  the  temple  buildings,  see  Jos.  Bell  Jud.  5:5,  6;  Ant.  11:5. 
The  Arch  of  Titus  in  the  Forum  Romanum.  Funk,  The  Widow's 
Mite.  On  the  "Warning  Tablet,"  see  Barton's  Week  of  Passion,  p. 
172. 

395.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  How  may  Christ's  commen- 
dation of  the  widow's  mite  be  abused?  2.  What  constitutes  a 
giver's  "mite"?  3.  What  did  the  coming  of  the  Greeks  suggest 
to  Christ's  mind?  4.  Does  the  principle  set  forth  in  Jno.  12:24 
apply  to  all  men?  5.  What  is  the  main  purpose  of  the  discourse 
on  the  last  things?  6.  What  is  each  of  the  parables  intended  to 
teach?  7.  What  is  to  be  the  basis  of  God's  judgment.  8.  Why  does 
this  not  contradict  "Salvation  by  grace  on  condition  of  faith" 
(Jno.  3 :  16)  ?  9.  What  was  the  exact  bargain  between  Judas  and 
the  rulers,  and  in  what  particulars  did  it  change  their  former  plans? 

CHAPTER  43. 

Last  Supper  and  Farewell  Addresses. 

Matt.  26:17-35;  Mk.  14:12-31;  Lu.  22:7-38;  Jno.  13:1- 
Chap.  17.     Harmony  133-135. 

396.  Preparation  for  the  Passover.  (i)  After  his 
last  sleep  on  earth,  on  Thursday,  April  6  (Nisan  14),  which 
was  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread  on  which  the  pass- 
over  must  be  sacrificed,  the  disciples  came  to  Jesus,  saying, 
Where  wilt  thou  that  we  make  ready  for  thee  to  eat  the 
passover?  (2)  And  he  sent  Peter  and  John,  saying,  When 
ye  are  entered  into  the  city,  there  shall  meet  you  a  man 
bearing  a  pitcher  of  water ;  follow  him  into  the  house,  and 
say  unto  the  master  of  the  house,  The  Teacher  saith.  Where 
is  my  guest-chamber,  where  I  shall  eat  the  passover  with 
my  disciples?  (3)  He  will  show  you  a  large  upper  room 
furnished:  there  make  ready.  (4)  They  found  as  he  had 
said. 


232  Life  of  Christ. 

397.  First  Part  of  the  Passover  Meal,  (i)  When 
Peter  and  John  had  made  ready  the  passover  they  returned 
to  the  rest  at  Bethany.  (2)  In  the  evening  all  went  to 
Jerusalem  and  sat  down  to  the  meal.  (3)  After  the  usual 
"benediction"  Christ  said :  I  have  greatly  desired  to  eat 
this  passover  with  you  before  I  suffer,  for  I  shall  not  eat  it 
anymore  until  it  be  fulfilled  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  (4) 
Then  he  took  the  "first  cup,''  gave  thanks  and  said,  divide 
it  among  yourselves.  I  will  not  drink  from  henceforth  of 
the  fruit  of  the  vine  until  the  kingdom  of  God  shall  come. 

398.  Strife  for  Seats  of  Honor.  ( i )  Probably  when 
selecting  their  places  there  arose  a  contention  among  them, 
which  of  them  was  accounted  to  be  greatest.  (2)  Jesus 
said,  The  kings  of  the  Gentiles  have  lordship  over  them ; 
but  ye  shall  not  be  so ;  but  he  that  is  the  greater  among  you, 
let  him  become  as  he  that  doth  serve.  I  am  in  the  midst 
of  you  as  he  that  serveth.  (3)  But  ye  are  they  that  have 
continued  with  me  in  my  temptations ;  and  I  appoint  unto 
you  a  kingdom,  even  as  my  Father  appointed  unto  me,  that 
ye  may  eat  and  drink  at  my  table  in  my  kingdom ;  and  ye 
shall  sit  on  thrones  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 

399.  Feet  Washing.  ( i )  To  impress  the  lesson  of 
service  still  more,  Jesus,  in  place  of  the  usual  washing  of 
the  company's  hands,  arose  from  the  supper  and  began  to 
wash  the  disciples'  feet.  (2)  When  he  cometh  to  Simon 
Peter  he  saith.  Lord,  dost  thou  wash  my  feet?  Jesus  an- 
swered, What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now :  but  thou  shalt 
understand  hereafter.  (3)  Peter  saith,  Thou  shalt  never 
wash  my  feet.  Jesus  answered,  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou 
hast  no  part  with  me.  (4)  Peter  saith,  Lord,  not  my  feet 
only,  but  also  my  hands  and  my  head.  (5)  Jesus  saith  He 
that  is  bathed  needeth  not  save  to  wash  his  feet  for  he  is 
clean  every  whit :  and  ye  are  clean,  but  not  all.  (6)  For 
he  knew  him  that  should  betray  him.  (7)  When  he  had 
washed  their  feet,  he  said  Know  ye  what  I  have  done  to 
you  ?  Ye  call  me,  Teacher,  and.  Lord  :  and  ye  say  well ;  for 
so  I  am.     If  I  then,  the  Lord  and  the  Teacher,  have  washed 


Life  of  Christ.  233 

your  feet,  ye  also  ought  to  wash  one  another's  feet.  (8)  I 
have  given  you  an  example,  that  ye  also  should  do  as  I 
have  done  to  you.     A  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord. 

(9)  If  ye  know  these  things,  blessed  are  ye  if  ye  do  them. 

(10)  I  speak  not  of  you  all;  I  know  whom  T  have  chosen: 
but  that  the  scripture  may  be  fulfilled.  He  that  eateth  my 
bread  lifted  up  his  heel  against  me. 

400.  The  Betrayer  Pointed  Out.  (i)  As  the  meal 
proceeded,  Jesus  was  troubled  in  the  spirit  and  said,  One 
of  you  shall  betray  me.  (2)  The  disciples  looked  one  on 
another,  doubting  of  whom  he  spoke,  and  each  one  asked. 
Is  it  I,  Lord?  (3)  As  John  was  reclining  in  Jesus'  bosom, 
Peter  beckoned  to  him.  Tell  us  who  it  is  of  whom  he  speaks. 
John  said.  Lord,  who  is  it?  Jesus  answereth.  He  it  is,  for 
whom  I  shall  dip  the  sop,  and  give  it  him.  (4)  The  Son  of 
man  goeth,  even  as  it  is  written  of  him :  but  woe  unto  that 
man  through  whom  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed !  good  were 
it  for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born.  (5)  Then  he  gave 
the  sop  to  Judas,  and  he  also  asked.  Is  it  I,  Rabbi?  Jesus 
said,  Thou  hast  said.  (6)  After  the  sop  entered  Satan  in 
him.  (7)  Jesus  said,  What  thou  doest,  do  quickly.  Now 
no  man  at  the  table  knew  for  what  intent  he  spake  this 
unto  him.  Some  thought,  because  Judas  had  the  bag,  that 
Jesus  said  unto  him,  Buy  what  things  we  have  need  of 
for  the  feast ;  or,  that  he  should  give  something  to  the  poor. 
(8)  Judas  went  out  straightway:  and  it  was  night. 

401.  Institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  (i)  When 
Judas  had  left,  and  as  they  were  eating,  Jesus  took  bread, 
blessed,  and  brake  it;  and  gave  to  the  disciples,  and  said, 
Take,  eat ;  this  is  my  body.  (2)  And  he  took  a  cup  (prob- 
ably the  "third  cup"),  gave  thanks,  and  gave  to  them,  say- 
ing, this  is  my  blood  of  the  new  covenant,  which  is  poured 
out  for  many  unto  remission  of  sins. 

402.  Farewell  Conversations.  As  was  customary, 
Jesus  and  his  apostles  remained  a  long  time  after  the  meal 
at  the  table  engaged  in  serious  conversation  on  the  follow- 
ing subjects: 


234  Life  of  Christ. 

1.  Christ's  triumph.  When  Judas  had  left  the  spell  was 
i)roken,  and  Jesus  exclaimed,  Now  is  the  Son  of  man  glori- 
fied, and  God  is  orJorificd  in  him :  Little  children,  yet  a  lit- 
tle while  I  am  with  you.  Ye  shall  seek  me :  and  as  I  said 
unto  the  Jews,  Whither  I  go,  ye  cannot  come. 

2.  The  New  Commandment.  A  new  commandment  T 
give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another  even  as  I  have  loved 
you.     By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples. 

3.  Testing  of  the  Disciples,  (i)  Peter  said,  Lord,  Why 
cannot  I  follou'  thee  now?  (2)  Then  saith  Jesus  unto 
iheni,  All  ye  shall  be  ofi'ended  in  me  this  night :  for  it  is 
written,  I  will  smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  of  the  flock 
shall  be  scattered  abroad.  But  after  I  am  raised  up,  I 
will  go  before  you  into  Galilee.  (3)  But  Peter  said,  Lf  all 
shall  be  offended  in  thee,  I  will  never  be  offended.  Jesus 
said,  Simon,  Simon,  behold,  Satan  asked  to  sift  you  as 
wheat ;  but  I  made  supplication  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail 
not ;  and  when  once  thou  has  turned  again,  establish  thy 
brethren.  Peter  said,  Lord,  with  thee  I  am  ready  to  go  to 
prison  and  death.  Jesus  replied.  This  night  before  the  cock 
crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  But  he  spake  ex- 
ceeding vehemently,  If  I  must  die  with  thee,  I  will  not 
deny  thee.     And  in  like  manner  also  said  they  all. 

4.  Instructions  for  the  Future.  Jesus  said.  When  I 
send  you  forth  without  purse  and  wallet,  and  shoes,  lacked 
ye  anything?  They  said.  Nothing.  He  said,  But  now,  he 
that  hath  a  purse,  let  him  take  it,  and  likewise  a  wallet ;  and 
he  that  hath  none,  let  him  sell  his  cloak,  and  buy  a  sword. 
For  I  say  unto  you,  that  this  which  is  written  must  be  ful- 
filled in  me.  He  was  reckoned  with  transgressors.  Tliey 
said.  Lord,  behold,  here  are  two  swords.  He  said.  It  is 
enough. 

5.  Comfort  for  Troubled  Hearts.  Jno.  14:  i-ii. 
(i)  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  (2-6). 
(2)   I  have  revealed  the  Father.     (7-1 1). 

6.  Promises  for  Those  left  Behind.     Jno.  14:  12-24. 
(i)   Greater  works  than  Christ's.     (12). 


Life  of  Christ.  235 

(2)  Answered  Prayer.     (13-15). 

(3)  An  Abiding  Comforter.      (16-17). 

(4)  The  Indwelling  Christ.     (18-24). 

(5)  The  Gift  of  Peace.     (25-31). 

7.  New  Relationships.     Jno.  15:  1-17. 

(i)  Union    with    Christ:    vine    and   branches.     (Jno. 

15:1-11)- 
(2)  Union  with  one  another  in  Him.     Love  one  an- 
other.    (12-17). 

8.  The  Hatred  of  the  World  against  him  and  them.  Jno. 
15:  18-25. 

9.  The  World  and  the  Paraclete.    Jno.  16:  i-ii. 

It  is  expedient  that  I  go.     The  Spirit  will  convict  the 
world. 

10.  The  Disciples  and  Paraclete.     16:12-15. 
The  Spirit  shall  guide  you  into  all  the  truth. 

11.  The  Sorrow  of  Christ's  Departure  turned  into  joy 
by  his  return  (Jno.  16:  16-24).    "A  little  while." 

12.  Summary  and  Conclusion  of  the  whole  discourse, 
Jno.  16:25-33.     "I  have  overcome  the  world." 

13.  llie  High-priestly  Prayer.    Jno.  17. 

(i)    1-5  prayer  for  himself.     Glorify  thy  Son; 

(2)  6-19,  prayer  for  his  disciples;  manifest  thy  name 

to  them ;  keep  them   from  evil   in  this   world ; 
sanctify   them   in   the   truth ; 

(3)  20-24,  prayer  for  all  future  believers;  that  they 

all  may  be  one  in  me,  that  they  may  be  where 
I  am  to  see  my  glory. 

(4)  25-26.     Summary  of  his  Mission;  I  made  known 

to  them  thy  name ;  I  communicated  thy  love  to 
them. 

403.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources;  trace 
the  Lord's  movements  on  the  map;  memorize  John  14:1-2.  This 
Thursday  is  called  Maundy  Thursday  from  the  Latin  words,  dies 
mandati,  day  of  command,  because  on  that  day  was  instituted  the 
Lord's  Supper,  or  because  he  gave  '"the  new  commandment"  (Jno. 
13:34)-    The  Germans  call  it  "Gruendonnerstag"    (Green  Thurs- 


236  Life  of  Christ. 

day),  because  the  introitus  to  the  service  of  that  day  was  Ps. 
23 :  2,  the  "green  pasture"  referring  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  as  the 
bread  of  life.  Others  call  the  day,  "Hoher  Donnerstag"  (High 
Thursday).  3.  The  Jews  named  this  feast  (a)  "passover"  because 
in  the  night  before  the  exodus  the  angel  passed  over  the  houses  of 
the  Jews;  (b)  feast  of  unleavened  bread,  because  their  fathers  could 
not  wait  for  the  bread  to  rise.  It  commemorated  Israel's  deliverance 
from  Egypt  (First  Commandment).  The  celebration  began  on  the 
14th  of  Nisan  at  even  with  the  paschal  supper  and  lasted  one  week. 

4.  Christ  probably  did  not  mention  his  host's  name  because  he  did 
not  wish  Judas  to  know  beforehand  where  the  supper  was  to  take 
place,  as  he  might  have  him  arrested  before  he  had  kept  the  feast. 

5.  Pitchers  of  water  were  usually  carried  by  women,  so  that  a  man 
carrying  a  pitcher  would  be  conspicuous.  6.  The  man  carrying 
the  pitcher,  or  better  the  "good  man"  of  the  house,  was,  according 
to  tradition,  the  father  of  John  Mark,  the  author  of  the  second 
gospel.  His  wife's  name  was  Mary  (Acts  12).  The  form  of  the 
message  ("my  guest-chamber")  seems  to  indicate  that  Jesus  had 
some  previous  understanding  with  the  man.  Many  non-resident 
Jews  rented  guest-chambers  for  the  feast.  7.  The  tradition  with 
reference  to  the  "upper  room"  is  as  follows :  It  was  the  home  of 
the  disciples  when  in  Jerusalem.  Here  the  Risen  One  appeared  to 
them  on  the  evening  of  the  resurrection  day,  and  a  week  later;  here 
the  prayer  meeting  of  the  120  and  the  election  of  Matthias  were 
held ;  here  the  Holy  Spirit  was  poured  out  on  Pentecost  and  the 
first  Christians  held  their  meetings  (Acts  12:12).  The  house  is 
one  of  the  few  buildings  that  survived  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  forms  a  part  of  a  complex  of  buildings  known  as  Neby 
Daud,  on  the  southwest  hill.  It  is  known  as  the  Coenaculum  (from 
the  Latin  coena-supper).  It  is  now  in  possession  of  the  Moham- 
medans who  are  unwilling  to  part  with  it.  8.  The  house  adjoining 
the  Coenaculum  is  called  "Dormitio  Sanctae  Virginis"  (abode  of 
the  Holy  Virgin).  Here  according  to  old  legends  Mary  lived  and 
ascended  into  Heaven.  This  house  has  been  donated  by  the  Sultan 
to  Emperor  William  of  Germany  at  the  occasion  of  his  visit  to 
Jerusalem  for  the  purpose  of  dedicating  the  German  Protestant 
Church  of  the  Redeemer  (Die  Erloeserkirche).  The  Emperor  in 
turn  gave  the  house  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Historical  Society  of 
Germany,  and  the  German  Catholics  are  now  erecting  a  magnificent 
church  on  the  spot.  g.  The  paschal  supper  consisted  of  (a)  a 
lamb,  selected  en  the  tenth  of  Nisan  and  killed  in  the  temple  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  14th;  (b)  unleavened  bread;  (c)  bitter  herbs, 
in  remembrance  of  the  bitterness  of  their  fathers'  sufferings  and 
(d)  wine.     10.  The  passover  supper  was  a  full  meal,  not  simply  a 


Life  of  Christ.  237 

ceremonial  eating  as  in  our  Lord's  vSupper.  Yet  it  was  a  strictly- 
religious  sacramental  meal,  interspersed  with  prayer  and  various 
ceremonies,  and  was  eaten  according  to  a  strict  ritual,  in  the  fol- 
lowing order:  (i)  benediction;  (2)  cup  of  wine;  (3)  hands  of 
company  washed  by  master  of  the  feast,  who  recites  a  prayer ;  (4) 
bitter  herbs  dipped  in  sauce  and  eaten;  (5)  lamb  brought  in  with 
other  portions  of  the  meal;  (6)  benediction  and  second  eating  of 
bitter  herbs;  (7)  second  cup  of  wine  with  question  and  answer  as 
to  origin  of  the  feast  (Ex.  12:26);  (8)  first  part  of  the  Hallel 
(Pss.  113,  114)  sung  with  the  benediction;  (9)  leader  washes  his 
hands,  makes  a  "sop"  by  wrapping  a  bit  of  the  lamb  with  the  un- 
leavened bread  in  bitter  herbs,  dipping  it  in  the  sauce,  eating  it  and 
making  similar  sops  for  the  others  present;  (10)  each  eats  what 
he  likes,  finishing  with  a  piece  of  the  lamb;  (11)  hands  are  washed, 
and  a  third  cup  of  wine  taken;  (12)  second  part  of  the  Hallel 
(Pss.  115-118)  is  sung,  which  concludes  the  supper;  (13)  fourth 
cup  of  wine. 

404.  I.  The  "contention"  probably  occurred  soon  after  the  Twelve 
entered  the  room.  It  was  doubtless  about  the  order  of  places  at 
the  table,  the  middle  place  on  each  couch  being  considered  the  best, 
and  to  be  as  near  to  the  Lord's  right  as  possible  might  be  an 
index  of  rank  in  the  future  kingdom.  2.  When  Jesus  had  re- 
buked their  pride,  and  they  had  arranged  themselves  on  the  couches, 
the  first  cup  (rit.  2)  was  taken.  After  this  the  master  of  the  feast 
would  arise  for  the  handwashing  (rit.  3)  ;  For  this  part  of  the  ritual 
Jesus  seems  to  have  substituted  the  washing  of  the  feet,  which  had 
been  omitted  on  entering  the  room,  because  no  one  of  the  Twelve 
was  willing  to  take  the  part  of  a  servant  (Jno.  13:2-4).  After 
the  "sop"  (rit.  g)  Judas  went  out  to  betray  Christ.  3.  The  Last  Sup- 
per, by  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  represents  the  consternation  of  the  dis- 
ciples on  being  told  by  Jesus  that  one  of  them  should  betray  him. 
Their  names  beginning  on  the  left  are  :  Bartholomew,  James  the 
son  of  Alphseus,  Andrew,  Judas,  Peter  leaning  behind  Judas,  John, 
James  the  brother  of  John,  leaning  behind  Thomas,  Thomas,  Philip, 
Matthew,  Thaddreus,  and  vSimon  the  Cananrean.  4.  John  reclined 
on  the  Lord's  bosom  and  Judas  seems  to  have  been  next  to  Jesus 
on  the  other  side,  and  Peter  more  remote  (Jno.  13:26-29;  Mark 
14:20;  Matt.  26:23).  5-  Of  the  institution  of  this  memorial  we 
have  four  accounts  in  two  groups,  Matthew  and  Mark,  Luke  and 
Paul  (i  Cor.  11:23-26).  From  these  we  learn  that  after  the  eat- 
ing of  the  paschal  lamb  (ritual  10),  but  before  the  concluding  cere- 
monies, Jesus  "took  bread,"  one  of  the  unbroken  loaves,  and  "the 
cup,"  the  "third  cup"  (ritual  11).  6.  Luke  22:21  says  that 
Judas   was   present   at  the   institution   of   the   Lord's   Supper,   but 


238  Life  of  Christ. 

John  13 :  26  favors  the  view  that  he  went  out  before.  The  latter  is 
probable,  because  the  supper  was  instituted  towards  the  end  of  the 
passover  (Sec  No.  10  and  11  of  the  ritual),  while  Judas  left  im- 
mediately after  the  exposure  when  the  sop  was  handed  him  (No. 
9  of  the  ritual).  This  is  also  intrinsically  probable,  for  Jesus 
would  naturally  desire  that  Judas,  whose  heart  was  now  hopelessly 
alienated  from  him,  should  not  by  his  presence  break  the  sympathetic 
circle  to  which  he  was  about  to  give  his  last  tender  words  of  fare- 
well. 7.  The  movements  of  Judas,  after  leaving  the  paschal  sup- 
per, were  probably  as  follows :  he  went  to  the  rulers  and  hurried  the 
soldiers  to  the  upper  room;  before  they  arrived,  Jesus  had  de- 
parted ;  Judas  knowing  the  usual  place  of  the  Lord's  retirement  led 
the  soldiers  to  Gethsemane;  John  Mark,  the  son  of  the  house,  being 
aroused  from  his  sleep  by  the  noise  of  the  soldiers  quickly  fol- 
lowed them  without  stopping  to  dress  fully  (Mk.  14:51,  52).  8. 
Where  were  the  warning  to  Peter  and  the  Farewell  Addresses  deliv- 
ered ?  Matthew  and  Mark  say,  On  the  way  from  the  upper  room  to 
Gethsemane ;  Luke  and  John :  in  the  upper  room.  Solution :  (a) 
The  warning  was  first  given  in  the  upper  room  and  repeated  on  the 
way;  (b)  Luke  and  John  report  the  right  order;  (c)  the  first  part 
to  Jno.  14:31  was  spoken  in  the  upper  room.  Then  they  left  the 
room  and  the  rest  was  spoken  on  the  way;  (d)  the  part  to  Jno. 
14:31  was  spoken  while  reclining;  then  the  Lord  said,  "Arise,  let 
us  go  hence."  While  preparing  to  leave,  Jesus  spoke  the  words  in 
Jno.  IS :  16,  17,  at  the  close  of  which  they  left  for  Gethsemane, 
9.  The  last  part  of  the  "hallel"  (hymn)  was  sung  either  before  all 
the  discourses,  or  at  Jno.  14:31,  or  at  the  close  (Jno.  18:  i).  10. 
The  chief  object  of  the  farewell  discourses  was  to  prepare  the 
disciples  for  the  coming  shock  of  disappointment  and  despair.  11. 
The  subjects  in  the  farewell  addresses  are  not  kept  distinct;  they 
cross  and  interlace  like  the  strands  in  a  rope.  12.  The  "greater 
works"  refer  to  the  results  of  Pentecost,  the  victory  over  Judaism 
and  Paganism  which  for  the  moment  were  victorious  over  Jesus. 
(Lu.  22:53). 

405.  Practical  Lessens.  i.  The  term  sacrament  was  taken 
from  a  military  custom.  The  'sacramentum'  was  the  oath  taken 
by  the  Roman  soldier  that  he  would  never  desert  the  standard, 
never  turn  his  back  on  the  foe,  and  never  be  disloyal  to  his  com- 
mander. By  our  presence  at  the  sacrament  we  pledge  each  other 
before  God,  that  with  His  help  we  will  be  true  men,  more  cour- 
ageous, more  pure,  more  victorious,  than  before"  (Lu.  22:19). 
2.  The  four  historical  theories  as  to  the  mode  of  Christ's  presence 
in  the  Lord's  .Supper  are  based  on  the  four  principal  interpretations 
of   the   words    of    Christ,    "This    is    my    body:"    (a)    The    Roman 


Life  of  Christ.  239 

Catholic:  this  bread  is  changed  into  my  body   (transubstantiation), 
(b)   Luther:  This  bread  is  accompanied  by  my  body   (my  body  is 
"in,  with  and  under"  the  bread);    Cc)   Zwingli :  this  bread  signifies 
my  body   (Memorial  view);    (d)    Calvin:  this  bread  is  not  only  a 
sign    (Zwingli)    but  also  a   seal  of   my    (spiritual)    body.     3.  The 
significance  of  the  Lord's  Supper:    (a)    it  is  the  Lord's  table;  he 
prepares   and   invites   to   it;    (b)    Christ   is   really   present,   but    in 
a  spiritual  manner  (Calvin)  ;  (c)  it  is  only  for  real  disciples  (Heid. 
Cat.  81,  82;   West.   Cat.  53;    i   Cor.   10:16);  Judas  was  therefore 
not  present.     In  the  ancient  church  the  unbaptized  were  dismissed 
when  the  celebration  began.     The  minister  would  say,  "congregatio 
est   missa,"    from   which    are   derived   the   terms,   "Mass"    and   the 
German   "Messe;"    (d)    Christ   and   Paul   emphasize   the   memorial 
feature  of  the  supper.     "This  do  in  remembrance  of  me"   (Lu.  22: 
19),  and,  "For  as  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  the  cup,  ye 
proclaim  the  Lord's  death  till  he  come"   (i  Cor.  11:26);    (e)  it  is 
a  communion,  a  "union  with"  God  and  the  brethren — a  love  feast, 
(f)   it  emphasizes  the  manner  of  Christ's  death.     The  wheat  must 
be  bruised  and  broken  and  the  grape  crushed  and  bleeding,  before 
we  can  eat  the  bread   or  drink  the  wine.     It  is  by  the  death  of 
Christ  that  we  have  life,     (g)  It  shows  the  necessity  of  appropriat- 
ing Christ.     The  bread  and  wine  enter  into  and  become  part  of  our 
flesh  and  blood,  and  so  the  support  of  our  life.     It  is  Christ  in  us 
who  is  the  hope  of  glory,     (h)    Historically  it  is  connected  with 
and  grew  out  of  the  passover,  which  prefigures  and  interprets  it. 
Thus  it  memorializes  our  deliverance  from  the  bondage  of  sin  by 
the  death  of  Christ,  who  is  our  passover  (Rom.  8:2;  i  Cor.  5:7). 
(i)    It  prophetically  points  to  the   future  marriage  supper  of  the 
Lamb   (Mt.  26:29;  Mk.  14:25).     (j)   It  is  the  clearest  expression 
of  the  importance  claimed  by  Jesus  for  his  own  person  (bread  equal 
to  the  body;  wine  equal  to  the  blood;  broken  unto  remission).     4. 
"I  am  the  way:"  to  (i)  pardon;   (2)  peace;  (3)  power;  (4)  hope; 
(5)    heaven.     The  Japanese   call   Christianity   "the   Jesus-way."     5. 
Jesus  reveals  the  Father  to  us.     He  shows  us  his  (i)  holiness;  (2) 
love;    (3)    fatherhood.     6.  To  abide  in   Christ  means    (a)    to  hold 
fast  to  his  truth ;   (b)  to  have  the  spirit  dwell  in  us.     7.  Many  that 
are  indifferent  to  the  truth  are  like  men  of  whom  Plato  says,  that 
they  resemble  people  who  live  in  a  cave;  they  see  the  light  only 
as  it  filters  down  through  their  obstinate  pride  and  tenacious  pre- 
judices.   8.  Christianity  is  to  be  propagated  by  patient  witnessing 
for   the   truth,  not   by    force.     9.  The   necessary   qualifications    for 
successful  witness-bearing  are  (a)   Bible  knowledge;   (b)  Christian 
experience;    (c)    courage    and    (d)    patience.     10.  Method    of   wit- 
ness-bearing  (a)    by  words;    (b)    deeds;    (c)    the  pen  and    (d)   by 


240  IJfc  of  Christ. 

death  (Martyrs),  ii.  The  two  functions  of  the  spirit  are  (a)  to 
impart  new  truth  which  however  must  harmonize  with  the  old,  (b) 
to  interpret  old  truth. 

.}o6.  Reference  Literature.  I-'arrar,  Ch.  54,  55,  56;  Andrews,  p. 
450;  Rhccs.  p.  181-187;  Stalker,  p.  160;  Gilbert's  Life  of  Christ,  p. 
344;  on  the  coenaculum,  see  Smith's  "Jerusalem"  II,  567;  on  "unity," 
see  Hast.  D.  of  C.  II,  781;  "Brodbrechcn,"  Herzog  II;  Leonardi's 
famous  "Last  Supper"  in  Milan;  on  the  ritual  of  the  passover,  see 
Maclear's  N.  T.  Hist.,  p.  280;  Maundy  Thursday,  see  Barton's  Week 
of  Passion,  p.  176;  on  the  "upper  room,"  p.  176;  Holy  Grail,  p. 
179;  on  passover,  p.  176;  on  the  hallel.  Hast.  D.  of  C.  I,  699;  on  the 
Lord's  Supper,  Davis,  D.  B.,  p.  443. 

407.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Explain  the  ready  consent 
of  the  "good  man."  2.  Why  does  Jesus  not  mention  the  precise 
place  of  eating  the  passover?  3.  What  point  is  emphasized  in  each 
of  the  names  "Lord's  Supper,"  "eucharist,"  "communion."  4.  Point 
out  the  variations  in  the  four  accounts  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  5. 
How  was  the  promise  in  Jno.  14:  12  realized?  6.  What  is  the  dif- 
ference between  union,  unity  and  uniformity?  7.  As  applied  to 
church  life  what  is  the  difference  between  Christian  union  and 
Church  union;  between  co-operation,  federation  and  organic  union? 
8.  Did  our  Lord  in  Jno.  17:  21  pray  that  they  may  be  one  organiza- 
tion, or,  one  in  him  (mystical  union),  or  one  in  faith,  hope  and 
love?  9.  Which  interpretation  can  best  stand  the  test  of  sound 
exegesis? 

CHAPTER  44. 

Agony  and  Arrest  in  Gethsemane. 

Matt.  26:36-56;  Mk.    14:32-52;  Lu.  22:39-53;  Jno.   18: 
i-ii.     ?Tarmony    136-137. 

408.  Agony  in  Gethsemane.  (  1  )  When  they  had  sung 
the  closing  hymn  they  went,  as  his  custom  was,  over  the 
brook  Cedron,  to  the  Mount  of  OHves,  to  a  garden  called 
Gethsemane.  (2)  Here  he  said  to  his  disciples,  Sit  ye 
here,  while  I  go  yonder  and  pray.  He  took  with  him  Peter 
and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee  (James  and  John).  (3)  He 
began  to  be  sorrowful,  and  saith  unto  them.  My  soul  is 
exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death :  abide  ye  here,  and 


Life  of  Christ.  241 

watch  with  mc.  (4)  He  went  forward  a  little,  and  fell  on 
his  face,  and  prayed.  My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this 
cup  pass  away  from  me :  nevertheless,  not  as  T  will,  but  as 
thou  wilt.  (5)  When  he  cometh  unto  the  disciples,  and 
findeth  them  sleeping,  he  saith  unto  Peter,  Simon  sleepest 
thou?  Could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour?  Watch 
and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation :  the  spirit  indeed 
is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak.  (6)  A  second  time  he 
went  away,  and  prayed,  My  Father,  if  this  cannot  pass 
away,  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will  be  done.  And  he  came 
again  and  found  them  sleeping,  for  their  eyes  were  heavy. 
(7)  He  went  away,  and  prayed  a  third  time,  saying  the 
same  words.  (8)  Then  there  appeared  unto  him  an  angel, 
strengthening  him.  (9)  And  being  in  an  agony  he  prayed 
more  earnestly ;  and  his  sweat  became  as  it  were  great  drops 
of  blood  falling  down  upon  the  ground.  (10)  Then  cometh 
he  to  the  disciples,  and  saith.  Sleep  on  now,  behold,  the 
hour  it  at  hand,  and  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  into  the 
hands  of  sinners.  (11)  Arise,  let  us  be  going:  behold,  he 
is  at  hand  that  betrayeth  me. 

409.  The  Betrayal  and  Arrest,  (i)  While  he  yet  spoke 
came  Judas  (who  knew  the  place,  for  Jesus  often  re- 
sorted thither),  with  a  great  multitude,  with  swords,  staves, 
lanterns  and  torches,  from  the  chief  priests  and  elders.  (2) 
Judas  gave  them  a  sign,  saying.  Whomsoever  I  shall  kiss, 
that  is  he:  take  him.  And  straightway  he  came  to  Jesus, 
and  said,  Hail,  Rabbi;  and  kissed  him.  Jesus  said.  Friend, 
do  that  for  which  thou  art  come.  Judas  betrayest  thou  the 
Son  of  man  with  a  kiss?  (3)  Then  Jesus  saith  unto  them, 
Whom  seek  ye  ?  They  answered,  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Jesus 
saith,  I  am  he.  When  he  said  this  they  fell  to  the  ground. 
Again  he  asked.  Whom  seek  ye?  And  they  said,  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  Jesus  answered,  I  told  you  that  I  am  he;  if 
ye  seek  me,  let  these  go  their  way :  that  the  word  might  be 
fulfilled  which  he  spake.  Of  those  whom  thou  hast  given 
me  I  lost  not  one.  (4)  Then  they  laid  hands  on  Jesus  and 
took  him.      (5)  But  when  his  disciples  saw  what  would  fol- 


242  Life  of  Christ. 

low,  they  said,  Lord,  shall  we  smite  with  the  sword?  And 
Peter  drew  his  sword  and  cut  off  the  right  ear  of  the  high 
priest's  servant,  whose  name  was  Malchus.  But  Jesus  said 
unto  Peter,  Put  up  the  sword  into  the  sheath :  the  cup  which 
the  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it?  All  they 
that  take  the  sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword.  Or  think- 
est  thou  that  I  cannot  beseech  my  Father  and  he  shall  even 
now  send  me  more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels?  How 
then  should  the  scriptures  be  fulfilled,  that  thus  it  must  be? 
(6)  In  that  hour  said  Jesus  to  the  multitudes.  Are  ye  come 
out  as  against  a  robber  with  swords  and  staves  to  seize  me? 
I  sat  daily  in  the  temple  teaching,  and  ye  took  me  not.  But 
this  is  your  hour  and  the  power  of  darkness.  (7)  Then  all 
the  disciples  left  him  and  fled.  (8)  Only  a  young  man  fol- 
lowed with  him,  having  a  linen  cloth  cast  about  him.  They 
laid  hold  on  him ;  but  he  left  the  linen  cloth,  and  fled  naked. 

410.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources;  lo- 
cate places  :  trace  Christ's  movements ;  memorize  Matt.  26 :  41.  2. 
About  midnight  of  Thursday  (according  to  Jewish  reckoning,  from 
sunset  to  sunset,  it  was  already  Friday  Nisan  15)  the  Lord  reached 
Gethsemane  ("valley  of  oil"  or  "oil  press").  3.  Its  precise  location 
is  not  known.  The  traditional  site  is  a  grove  on  the  western  slope 
of  the  Mt.  of  Olives,  just  above  the  valley  of  Kidron  (Jno.  18:  l- 
3),  about  50  paces  square,  containing  very  ancient  olive  trees, 
eight  of  which  are  said  to  be  2,000  years  old.  4.  The  brook  Kid- 
ron ran  through  the  valley  between  Jerusalem  and  the  Mt.  of 
Olives.  At  present  its  bed  contains  no  water  except  during  the 
rainy  season  or  immediately  after  a  heavy  rain.  5.  Reasons  why 
Jesus  withdrew  to  Gethsemane:  (a")  He  did  not  wish  to  involve 
the  owner  of  "the  upper  room"  in  trouble,  (b)  He  wished  to 
have  a  secluded  spot  for  prayer.  6.  Jesus  desired  his  disciples  to 
watch,  partly,  perhaps,  because  He  was  afraid  the  enemy  might 
surprise  them  at  any  moment,  but  especially  because  He  wanted 
human  sympathy  in  the  great  struggle  through  which  He  was  pass- 
ing. 7.  The  "cup"  signifies  that  portion  of  good  or  evil  which  is 
appointed  to  man  by  God.  8.  "This  cup"  does  not  mean  his  cruci- 
fixion and  death,  but  the  agony,  anguish  and  soul  struggle  in  Geth- 
semane. This  is  in  accordance  with  Mark  14:35,  where  the  cup  is 
defined  as  "the  hour,"  and  with  Heb.  5 :  7,  which  says  that  "he  was 
heard."     These   passages   show    plainly   that   Jesus   did   not   shrink 


Life  of  Christ.  247, 

from  the  death  on  the  cross  but  from  anguish  which  might  have 
resulted  in  death  in  the  garden.  Such  a  death  would  have  made 
him  a  martyr  but  not  an  atoning  Saviour.  There  was  reason  for 
such  a  fear,  for  Luke,  with  a  physician's  knowledge,  speaks  of  the 
agony  and  the  bloody  sweat  (22:44),  which  in  cases  of  extreme 
anguish  have  been  the  immediate  precursor  of  death.  9.  In  Getli- 
scmane,  Chrjst's  sufferings  were  pre-eminently  mental  and  spiritual, 
and  at  Calvary  chiefly  physical.  10.  The  arresting  force  was  large, 
consisting  of  the  temple  police  (Luke  22:54),  and  a  Roman  cohort 
(margin  of  Jno.  18:3),  a  body  of  soldiers  which  generally  num- 
bered 600  men.  The  authorities  evidently  feared  resistance  if  not  a 
popular  uprising,  especially  when  considering  the  enthusiasm  for 
Jesus  on  Palm  Sunday.  11.  Although  it  was  full  moon  the  soldiers 
carried  torches  and  lanterns  in  case  Jesus  should  retreat  into  cav- 
erns, grottos  or  houses.  12.  The  crowd,  many  of  whom  knew  Jesus 
as  a  wonder-worker,  recoiled  at  his  approach,  being  over-awed  by  the 
power  of  his  personality  and  fearing  that  he  might  use  his  mir- 
aculous power  against  them.  13.  The  Malchus  incident  shows  that 
Jesus,  although  he  expects  to  be  defended  by  his  friends,  will  not 
have  it  done  by  carnal  weapons.  14.  "Twelve  legions"  is  a  figura- 
tive expression,  in  round  numbers — 72,000.  15.  The  young  man  in 
Mark  14:51  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  the  author  of  the 
gospel,  which  alone  reports  the  incident,  John  Mark  himself.  Be- 
ing aroused  from  sleep  by  Judas  and  the  soldiers  when  they  came 
to  his  father's  house,  he  threw  a  loose  garment  around  himself  and 
followed  them.  When  the  disciples  fled,  he  seems  to  have  en- 
deavored to  follow  Jesus  and  protect  the  Lord,  but  was  driven 
away. 

411.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  Some  of  the  ingredients  of  Christ's 
cup  were  (a)  an  inconceivable  sense  of  the  horribleness  of  sin  by 
the  sinless  one.  (b)  A  shrinking  of  holy  love  from  being  reject- 
ed, (c)  The  natural  aversion  to  death.  2.  The  prime  object  of 
true  prayer  is  to  bring  the  human  will  into  submission  to  the  Di- 
vine will.  Petition  is  a  subordinate  feature.  3.  Every  life  has  its 
Gethsemane,  where  the  question  of  supremacy  between  God's  will 
and  self-will  must  be  fought  out.  4.  Unbelief  is  always  tempted  to 
resort  to  illegitimate  means  for  promoting  the  kingdom  of  God 
(Peter  w^ith  the  sword).  5.  The  last  deed  of  Christ's  hands  before 
they  were  bound  was  to  heal.  He  is  indeed  the  Saviour,  "der 
Heiland"   ("the  healer"). 

412.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  57;  Andrews,  p.  497; 
Stalker's  L.  of  C.  I^'oi  and  II162;  on  Gethsemane,  see  D.  B..  espe- 
cially Encycl.  Bibl.  II.  1712:  and  Davis,  D.  B.,  244:  Stalker's  Trial 
and  Death  of  Jesus,  Ch.  i;  Hofman's  paintings,  Gethsemane;  Kiss 
of  Judas;  Stalker,  Imago  Christi  (last  chapter). 


244  Life  of  Christ. 

413.  Questions  for  Discussion.  i.  What  was  the  original 
source  of  information  for  the  account  of  the  agony  in  Gethsemane? 
2.  Does  a  comparison  of  the  second  with  the  first  praj'er  show  that 
the  feeling  of  submission  increases?  3.  Wherein  consisted  the 
bitterness  of  Christ's  agony  in  Gethsemane  and  at  the  cross  (See 
Heb.  12:2;  13:13;  Gal.  3:13;  i  Cor.  1:23).  4.  Why  did  Christ 
shrink  from  sufifering  when  martyrs  and  even  bad  men  faced  death 
calmly?  5.  Docs  the  presence  of  a  Roman  cohort  indicate  that  Pi- 
late had  any  knowledge  of  the  arrest?  6.  How  does  the  Malchus 
incident  throw  light  on  Luke  22:35-38?  7.  Does  Christ  want  to  be 
defended,  and  how? 

CHAPTER  45. 

The  Three  Trials  Before  the  Jewish  Courts. 

Matt.  26:57;  27:10;  Mk.  14:53-72;  Lu.  22:54-71;  Jno 
18:12-27.     Harmony  138. 

414.  Led  to  the  Highpriest  Annas,  (i )  The  band  and 
the  chief  captain  and  the  officers  of  the  Jews,  bound  Jesus 
and  led  him  to  Annas  first ;  for  he  was  father-in-law  to 
Caiaphas,  who  was  high  priest  that  year. 

415.  Peter's  First  Denial,  (i)  Peter  and  John  follow- 
ed Jesus  afar  ofT  unto  the  court  of  the  high  priest.  (2) 
John  was  known  unto  the  high  priest,  and  entered  in  with 
Jesus  into  the  courtyard,  but  Peter  was  standing  at  the  door 
v/ithout.  (3)  So  John  went  out  and  spake  unto  her  that 
kept  the  door  and  brought  in  Peter.  (4)  When  they  pass- 
ed her  the  maid  said  to  Peter,  Art  thou  also  one  of  this 
man's  disciples?  He  said,  I  am  not.  And  the  cock  crew 
the  first  time.  (5)  Now  the  servants  and  the  officers  hav- 
ing made  a  fire  of  coal  were  warming  themselves :  and 
Peter  also  warmed  himself. 

416.  Informal  Trial  by  Annas,  (i)  The  high  priest 
asked  Jesus  of  his  disciples,  and  of  his  teaching.  (2)  Jesus 
answered  him,  I  have  spoken  openly  to  the  world ;  I  ever 
taught  in  synagogues  and  in  the  temple,  where  all  the  Jews 
come  together ;  and  in  secret  spake  I  nothing.     Why  ask- 


IJfc  of  Christ.  245 

est  thou  me?  ask  them  that  have  heard  me,  what  I  spake 
unto  them.  (3)  When  he  had  said  this  one  of  the  officers 
struck  Jesus  with  his  hand,  saying,  Answerest  thou  the 
high  priest  so?  (4)  Jesus  answered.  If  I  have  spoken  evil, 
bear  witness  of  the  evil :  but  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  me  ? 
(5)  Then  Annas  sent  him  bound  unto  Caiaphas  the  high 
priest. 

417.  Night  Trial  Before  the  Sanhedrin.  (i)  Mean- 
while, at  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  the  council  gathered  to- 
gether. (2)  They  sought  false  witness  against  Jesus,  that 
they  might  put  him  to  death,  and  they  found  it  not.  Though 
many  false  witnesses  came,  their  testimony  agreed  not  to- 
gether. (3)  But  finally  came  two,  and  said,  This  man  said, 
1  am  able  to  destroy  the  temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in 
three  days.  But  not  even  so  did  their  witness  agree  to- 
gether. (4)  Then  in  his  desperation  the  high  priest  stood 
up  and  said,  Answerest  thou  nothing?  what  is  it  which  these 
witness  against  thee  ?  But  Jesus  held  his  peace.  (5)  Then 
the  high  priest  said,  I  adjure  thee  by  the  living  God,  that 
thou  tell  us  whether  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God. 
Jesus  saith,  Thou  hast  said,  for  I  am;  nevertheless  I  say 
unto  you.  Henceforth  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting 
at  the  right  hand  of  Power,  and  coming  on  the  clouds  of 
heaven.  (6)  Then  the  high  priest  rent  his  garments,  say- 
ing, He  hath  spoken  blasphemy :  what  further  need  have 
we  of  witnesses?  behold,  now  ye  have  heard  the  blasphemy: 
what  think  ye?  They  answered  and  said,  He  is  worthy  of 
death.  (7)  Then  did  they  spit  in  his  face  and  bufifet  him: 
and  some  blindfolded  and  smote  him  with  the  palms  of  their 
hands,  saying.  Prophesy  unto  us,  thou  Christ :  who  is  he 
that  struck  thee? 

418.  Peter's  Second  and  Third  Denials,  (i)  During 
this  trial  of  Jesus  Peter  went  into  the  porch,  and  another 
maid  (Lu.  22:58;  "man")  saw  him  and  saith  unto  them 
that  were  there.  This  man  also  was  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
Again  he  denied  with  an  oath,  I  know  not  the  man.  (2) 
After  a  little  while   (about  one  hour)   they  that  stood  by 


246  Life  of  Christ. 

came  and  said  to  Peter,  Of  a  truth  thou  also  art  one  of 
them,  a  Galilean;  for  thy  speech  maketh  thee  known.  (3) 
One  of  the  servants  of  the  high  priest,  being  a  kinsman  of 
him  whose  ear  Peter  cut  oft",  saith,  Did  I  not  see  thee  in 
the  garden  with  him?  (4)  Then  began  he  to  curse  and 
swear,  I  know  not  the  man.  And  straightway  the  cock 
crew  the  second  time.  (5)  At  the  same  moment  the  Lord 
turned  and  looked  upon  Peter.  And  Peter  remembered  the 
word  which  Jesus  had  said.  Before  the  cock  crow  twice, 
thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  And  he  went  out,  and  wept  bit- 
terly. 

419.  Morning  Trial  by  the  Sanhedrin,  (i)  As  soon 
as  it  was  day  the  assembly  of  the  elders  was  gathered  to- 
gether. (2)  They  led  him  into  their  council  and  said,  If 
thou  art  the  Christ,  tell  us.  (3)  But  he  said,  If  I  tell  you, 
ye  will  not  believe:  and  if  I  ask  you,  ye  will  not  answer. 
But  from  henceforth  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  seated  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  power  of  God.  (4)  Then  they  all  said, 
Art  thou  then  the  Son  of  God?  And  he  said  unto  them, 
Ye  say  that  I  am.  They  said.  What  further  need  have 
we  of  witness?  for  we  ourselves  have  heard  from  his  own 
mouth. 

420.  Remorse  and  Suicide  of  Judas.  ( i )  Judas,  when 
he  saw  that  he  was  condemned,  repented  and  brought  back 
the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  the  chief  priests  and  elders, 
saying,  I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betrayed  innocent  blood. 
But  they  said,  What  is  that  to  us?  see  thou  to  it.  (2)  And 
he  cast  down  the  pieces  of  silver  into  the  sanctuary,  and 
departed  ;  and  hanged  himself.  And  he  fell  down  head- 
long and  burst  asunder  and  all  his  bowels  gushed  out.  (3) 
The  chief  priests  took  the  pieces  of  silver,  and  said.  It  is 
not  lawful  to  put  them  into  the  treasury,  since  it  is  the  price 
of  blood.  And  they  bought  with  them  the  potter's  field, 
to  bury  strangers  in.  Wherefore  that  field  was  called.  The 
field  of  blood. 

421.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources,  espec- 
ially the  reports  of  the  denial  of  Peter;   locate  places;   trace  the 


# 


Life  of  Christ.  247. 

Lord's  movements;  memorize  Matt.  26:63.  2.  Note  that  John  has 
no  report  of  the  trials  before  the  Sanhedrin,  and  the  synoptists 
none  on  the  examination  by  Annas.  But  the  Syriac  version 
"Peshito,"  which  is  older  than  our  oldest  manuscripts,  places  the 
statement  of  Jno.  18:24  immediately  after  that  of  18:14.  Should 
this  order  be  accepted  we  have  no  record  of  what  transpired  before 
Annas.  Jno.  18:  19-23  then  describes  a  private  examination  before 
Caiphas,  and  the  term  "high  priest"  is  used  in  its  exact  rather  than 
a  loose  sense.  This  would  also  meet  the  difficulty  as  to  the  place 
of  Peter's  denials.  3.  Annas  was  appointed  high  priest  7  A.  D., 
by  Quirinius,  the  imperial  governor  of  Syria.  He  was  deposed  by 
Gratus,  procurator  of  Judca,  14  A.  D.  He  is  mentioned  in  Luke 
3:2;  Jno.  18:13,  24;  Acts  4:6,  where  he  is  reported  assisting  in 
presiding  over  the  Sanhedrin  which  sat  in  judgment  upon  Peter 
and  John.  Some  suppose  that  Caiaphas  was  the  actual  high-priest 
and  Annas  president  of  the  Sanhedrin;  others  hold  that  Annas 
held  the  office  of  substitute  of  the  high-priest.  He  lived  to  an  old 
age,  having  had  five  sons  in  the  high-priestly  office.  He  was 
father-in-law  to  Caiaphas.  4.  The  two  questions  of  Annas  indi- 
cated that  he  suspicioned  Jesus  as  being  the  head  of  some  secret 
organization  (like  the  Essenes),  with  dangerous  doctrines.  In  his 
reply  to  Annas  Jesus  demanded  his  legal  rights  as  a  prisoner.  No 
charge  had  been  preferred  against  him;  the  private  examination 
before  Annas  was  contrary  to  express  provisions  of  the  Rabbinical 
criminal  code ;  hence  his  refusal  to  bear  testimony  against  himself 
was  thoroughly  legal.  He  also  demanded  that  his  prosecutors  intro- 
duce witnesses.  5.  Caiaphas,  son-in-law  of  Annas  (Lu.  3:2;  Jno. 
18:13)  and  high  priest  from  A.  D.  18-36,  was  a  Sadducee  (Acts 
5:17),  a  hard  and  crafty  man.  The  fact  that  he  remained  so 
long  in  office  shows  that  the  Romans  found  in  him  a  subservient 
tool.  Jno.  18:  14  refers  to  his  prejudice  against  Jesus  which  made 
him  unfit  as  a  judge.  6.  The  regular  place  of  meeting  for  the  San- 
hedrin was  in  the  temple,  but  that  was  not  available  for  the  trial 
of  Jesus,  at  least  not  for  the  night  trial,  since  the  gates  of  the 
temple  were  closed  at  night.  7.  The  House  of  Caiaphas  (Matt. 
26:57),  the  high  priest's  palace  probably  stood  on  the  southern 
slope  of  the  western  hill,  a  short  distance  outside  of  'the  present 
city  wall,  but  in  what  was  then  the  finest  part  of  the  city.  It  was 
doubtless  a  splendid  building  surrounding  a  large  central  court. 
One  side  of  the  quadrangle  would  naturally  be  retained  by  Annas. 
The  preliminary  hearing  took  place  in  one  of  the  apartments  be- 
longing to  Annas.  When  Jesus  was  brought  before  Caiaphas  and 
the  informal  assembly  of  the  Sanhedrin,  He  merely  crossed  the 
courtyard  where  Peter  stood  warming  himself  by  the  fire.    8.  On 


2.\>^  Life  of  L'liiist 

tlio  nn'ml)ership  and  powers  of  the  Sanhedrin,  see  the  "Introduc- 
tion." 8.  The  witnesses  are  called  false  because  they  perverted  the 
Lord's  warning  in  Jno.  2 :  19  "Destroy  this  temple,"  into  a  threat, 
"I  will  destroy."  9.  Jesus,  aware  of  his  legal  rights,  several  times 
refused  to  testify  against  himself,  but  when,  in  his  desperation, 
the  High  Priest  challenged  him  to  give  true  information  as  to  his 
real  nature,  Jesus  affirmed  under  a  solemn  oath,  that  he  was  the  Son 
of  God.  10.  The  Lord's  answer  to  Caiaphas  reveals  three  cardinal 
traits  of  his  character  (a)  courage  in  confessing  himself  the  son 
of  God,  when  death  was  the  inevitable  consequence;  (b)  confidence 
in  the  success  of  his  cause  upon  earth;  (c)  the  admission  that  only 
the  future  could  unfold  the  real  meaning  of   his  person. 

422.  I.  The  following  are  some  of  the  illegal  features  of  Christ's 
trial:  Trying  a  criminal  in  the  night;  passing  judgment  of  death 
before  one  night  had  elapsed  after  the  trial;  trying  a  criminal  case 
on  the  day  before  the  Sabbath  or  a  feast;  undue  haste;  compelling 
the  prisoner  to  testify  against  himself;  the  judicial  use  of  the 
prisoner's  confession;  the  seeking  (probably  buying)  witnesses; 
the  neglect  to  warn  the  witnesses  solemnly  before  giving  evidence; 
the  failure  to  release  Jesus  when  the  two  witnesses  did  not  agree,  as 
concurrent  testimony  of  two  witnesses  was  necessary  to  framing  an 
indictment.  2.  The  trial  was  illegal  provided  that  we  have  a  full 
report  of  proceedings  and  that  the  Talmudic  law  was  enforced  in 
Palestine  during  the  lifetime  of  Jesus.  But  not  a  few  hold  that  the 
Talmud  represents  a  later  phase  of  Jewish  jurisprudence,  and  that 
the  letter,  though  not  the  spirit,  of  the  then  existing  lavv^  was  ob- 
served. 3.  About  ten  years  ago  there  was  a  movement  on  foot 
among  Jewish  rabbis  in  Russia  to  re-open  the  case  of  Jesus  and 
grant  him  a  new  trial  conducted  by  a  modern  Sanhedrin  selected 
from  the  rabbis ;  first,  on  the  ground  of  the  many  illegalities  at  his 
first  trial,  and  secondly,  because  new  evidence  had  come  to  light; 
the  course  of  history  having  shown  that  Jesus  was  indeed  the  Mes- 
siah. 4.  The  morning  trial  seems  to  have  been  held  simply  to  con- 
firm the  decision  of  the  night  trial  and  to  hold  a  consultation  how 
best  to  present  the  matter  to  Pilate.  Luke  who  has  the  fullest  re- 
port indicates  that  they  merely  reviewed  the  proceedings  of  the 
night  trial.  5.  Either  Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  Nicodemus,  two 
niemliers  of  the  Sanhedrin,  were  not  present  at  the  two  sessions, 
or  in  the  great  uproar  and  confusion  their  protests  were  not  heeded ; 
hence  the  decision  was  announced  as  being  unanimous.  6.  The 
denial  of  Peter  recorded  in  Matt.  26:69,  70  is  apparently  the  same 
as  that  recorded  in  Jno.  18:  15-18,  and  occurred  while  Jesus  was 
before  Annas.  The  other  two  denials  (Mt.  26:71-75)  probably 
took  place  after  Jesus  had  been  taken  across  the  courtyard  to  the 


Life  of  Christ.  249 

palace  of  Caiaphas.  7.  John  places  Peter's  denial  in  the  pal- 
ace of  Annas,  the  Synoptists  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas.  This  is 
Tiatural  since  John  does  not  report  the  trial  before  Caiaphas,  and 
the  Synoptists  are  silent  on  the  examination  before  Annas.  To 
harmonize  the  records  it  has  been  supposed  that  the  two  priests 
occupied  the  same  palace.  9>.  At  the  third  denial,  the  Lord  "turn- 
ed." Two  explanations :  (a)  Jesus  was  tried  in  one  of  the  halls 
which  surrounded  the  inner  court  of  an  Oriental  house.  As  these 
were  open  to  view  Jesus  could  hear  Peter  curse  and  swear  and 
deny ;  when  he  became  very  vehement,  Jesus  "turned"  towards  him ; 
(b)  After  his  condemnation  the  Lord  was  led  from  the  hall  of 
judgment  to  the  apartments  of  the  servants,  there  to  wait  until  the 
morning  trial.  Just  when  Jesus  passed  him  Peter  cursed  and  the 
Lord  "turned"  towards  him.  9.  The  double  cock  crowing  is  true 
to  nature  and  furnishes  a  valuable  note  of  time,  for  the  cock  al- 
ways crows  soon  after  midnight  and  again  at  the  break  of  day. 
10.  Although  in  Matt.  27 :  9  all  the  earliest  manuscripts  read  "Jere- 
miah" it  should  read  "Zachariah"  (11:  12-13).  A  similar  incident  is 
recorded  in  Jer.  32:8-10,  and  possibly  the  two  may  have  become 
confused  in  the  writer's  mind.  Matt.  27:7  says,  the  priests  bought 
the  field  and  Peter  in  Acts  i :  18  says  that  Judas  did,  meaning  prob- 
ably that  his  money  bought  it.  The  "field  of  blood"  is  still  shown 
in  the  valley  of  Hinnom.     See  D.  B. 

423.  Practical  Lessons.  i.  Jesus  betrays  no  man.  Annas' 
questions  were  designed  to  ascertain  how  many  adherers  Jesus 
had  in  the  council.  2.  Christ's  answer  to  Annas  reminds  one  of 
Socrates,  who  said  to  his  judges,  "If  any  one  says  he  ever  learnt 
from  me  in  private  what  all  other  people  did  not  hear,  be  sure  he 
is  not  speaking  the  truth."  (Apologia  xxi).  3.  There  is  majesty  in 
silence.  4.  It  is  absurd  to  say  that  Jesus  was  a  good  man  but 
not  the  Son  of  God.  If  he  was  not  the  Son  of  God  he  swore 
falsely  and  this  certainly  does  not  indicate  a  good  character.  5.  If 
we  regard  Jesus  simply  as  a  Jewish  citizen,  and  not  the  Son  of 
God,  his  conviction  was  strictly  according  to  law,  though  the  trial 
may  not  have  been  legal  in  all  its  forms.  The  bearing  of  this  in- 
ference on  radical  theology  is  plain.  6.  Half-way  loyalty  to  Christ 
invites,  while  complete  loyalty  delivers  from,  many  dangers.  John 
took  no  pains  to  conceal  his  discipleship  and  no  one  troubled  him. 
How  dififerent  with  Peter.  7.  Genuine  repentance  does  not  lead 
to  suicide,  remorse  often  docs.  8.  Before  the  sin,  it  is  the  gain  wc 
see ;  after  the  sin,  the  guilt.  9.  Many  traitors  are  aghast  at  the 
consequences  of  their  treason,  never   imagining  any   fatal  issue. 

424.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  58  and  59;  Andrews, 
p.  505;  Stalker,  [164-173;  Innes,  The  Trial  of  Jesus.     On  the  legal 


250  Jjfc  of  Christ. 

procedure,  see  Hast.  D.  of  C.  II,  749;  Gess,  Jesus  vor  Gericht,  in 
Christoterpe  of  1881 ;  on  the  House  of  Caiaphas,  see  The  Week  of 
Passion,  p.  182;  a  description  of  Oriental  houses,  see  Maclain,  N.  T. 
Hist.,  p.  290;  examine  some  of  the  famous  paintings  on  the  sub- 
ject, as  Harracli's  Peter's  Denial,  also  poetry  as  "Jesus  and  shall  it 
ever  be;"  Stalker,  Trial  and  Death  of  Jesus,  ch.  2  and  3;  Chandler, 
Trial  of  Jesus  from  a  Lawyer's  Standpoint;  Illegality  of  the  Trial 
in  The  Week  of  Passion,  p.  187;  on  Annas,  Davis,  D.  B.,  p.  34;  on 
Caiaphas,  p.    102. 

425.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Why  did  Annas  question 
Jesus  as  to  his  disciples?  2.  What  did  Jesus  mean  in  Matt.  26:64? 
3.  Why  was  Peter  pardoned  and  Judas  was  not?  4.  Did  Judas 
show  his  estimate  of  Jesus  by  the  price  he  demanded  for  his  be- 
trayal? 5.  Is  there  a  price  for  which  you  will  part  from  him? 
6.  How  may  Christ  to-day  be  denied  and  betrayed? 


CHAPTER  46. 

The  Trials   before   Pilate   and   Herod. 

Matt.  27:11-31;  Mk.   15:1-20;  Lu.  23:1-25;  Jno.   18:28- 
19:16.     Harmony    139. 

426.  The  Rulers  demanded  Christ's  death,  (i)  They 
lead  Jesns  from  Caiaphas  into  the  Prastorium :  and  it  was 
early;  (2)  They  themselves  entered  not  into  the  Praetorium, 
that  they  might  not  be  defiled,  but  might  eat  the  passover. 
(3)  Pilate  therefore  went  out  and  saith,  What  accusation 
bring  ye  against  this  man?  They  answered  in  effect,  you 
need  not  reopen  the  case ;  if  this  man  were  not  an  evil-doer 
we  should  not  have  delivered  him  up  unto  thee.  (4)  Pi- 
late replies  in  scorn,  Then  take  him  yourselves,  and  judge 
him  according  to  your  law.  The  Jews  said.  It  is  not  law- 
ful for  us  to  put  any  man  to  death. 

427.  Three  Charges  Preferred,  (i)  When  the  rulers 
saw  that  Pilale  insisted  on  reviewing  th.e  case,  they  said  not 
a  word  al)0ut  the  charge  on  which  they  had  condemned 
Jesus,  l)Ut  preferred  against  him  the  charge  of  treason  un- 
der three  specifications,  saying.  We  found  this  man  per- 


Life  of  Christ.  251 

verting-  our  nation,  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Csesar. 
and  saying  that  he  himself  is  Christ  a  king. 

428.  Examination  by  Pilate  and  First  Acquittal,  (i) 
The  last  charge  very  naturally  arrested  Pilate's  attention. 
He  took  Jesus  into  the  Pr?etorium  and  examined  him  as 
follows :  Pilate :  Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews  ?  Jesus : 
Sayest  thou  this  of  thyself,  or  did  others  tell  it  thee  con- 
cerning me?  Pilate:  Am  I  a  Jew?  Thine  ov/n  nation  and 
the  chief  priests  delivered  thee  unto  me :  what  hast  thou 
done?  (2)  Jesus:  JNIy  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world:  if 
my  kingdom  were  of  this  world,  then  would  my  servants 
fight,  that  I  should  not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews.  Pilate: 
Art  thou  a  king  then?  Jesus:  I  am  a  king.  To  this  end 
have  I  been  born,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth. 
Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  my  voice.  Pilate : 
What  is  truth?  (3)  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  went 
out  unto  the  Jews,  and  saith,  I  find  no  crime  in  him. 

429.  Renewed  Accusations  and  Jesus'  Silence,  (i) 
But  the  chief  priests  accused  Jesus  of  many  things,  to  which 
he  answered  nothing.  (2)  Then  saith  Pilate,  Hearest  thou 
not  how  many  things  they  witness  against  thee?  And  he 
gave  him  no  answer,  not  even  to  one  word :  insomuch  that 
the  governor  marvelled  greatly. 

430.  Christ  before  Herod  Antipas.  (i)  In  their  des- 
peration the  rulers  now  press  the  first  of  the  three  charges, 
saying,  He  stirreth  up  the  people,  teaching  throughout  all 
Judaea,  beginning  from  Galilee.  (2)  Pilate  asked  whether 
the  man  were  a  Galilean.  When  he  knew  that  he  was  of 
Herod's  jurisdiction,  he  sent  him  unto  him  who  also  was  at 
Jerusalem  to  observe  the  passover.  (3)  When  Plerod  saw 
Jesus,  he  was  exceeding  glad :  for  he  was  of  a  long  time 
desirous  to  see  him,  because  he  had  heard  concerning  him ; 
and  he  hoped  to  see  some  miracle  done  by  him.  (4)  He 
questioned  him  in  many  words ;  but  he  answered  him  noth- 
ing. (5)  The  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  vehemently  ac- 
cused him.  (6)  But  Herod  with  his  soldiers  mocked  him, 
and  arraying  him  in  gorgeous  apparel  sent  him  back  to 


252  Life  of  Christ. 

Pilate.      (7)    I  (erod  and    I'ilatc  became  friends  with  each 
other  that  very  day :  for  before  they  were  at  enmity. 

431.  Second  Acquittal  and  Proposed  Compromise, 
(i)  Now  Pilate  called  together  the  chief  priests,  the  rulers 
and  the  people  and  said,  Ye  brought  unto  me  this  man,  as 
one  that  perverteth  the  people :  and  I  have  examined  him 
before  you  and  found  no  fault  in  him,  nor  yet  Herod.  (2) 
I  will  therefore  chastise  him  (to  please  you)  and  then  re- 
lease him  (to  satisfy  my  sense  of  justice). 

432.  Jesus  and  Barabbas.  ( i )  While  Pilate  was  still 
wrangling  with  the  rulers  a  new  crowd  of  people  arrived 
who  knew  nothing  of  what  had  been  going  on  all  morn- 
ing. They  came  for  a  different  purpose.  (2)  At  the  pass- 
over,  the  Roman  governor  was  wont  to  release  unto  the 
multitude  one  prisoner,  whom  they  would,  and  this  crowd 
came  to  ask  Pilate  to  do  as  he  was  wont  to  do.  (3)  This 
request  Pilate  now  tries  to  use  for  extricating  himself  out 
of  an  unpleasant  situation.  At  that  time  he  had  a  notable 
prisoner  called  Barabbas,  who  was  one  of  those  who  had 
made  an  insurrection,  and  in  it  had  committed  murder. 
Pilate  said,  Whom  will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you  ?  Barabbas 
or  Jesus  who  is  called  Christ?  For  he  knew  that  for  envy 
they  had  delivered  him  up.  (4)  W^hile  he  was  sitting  on 
the  judgment  seat,  waiting  for  Barabbas  to  appear,  his  wife 
sent  unto  him,  saying.  Have  thou  nothing  to  do  with  that 
righteous  man ;  for  I  have  suffered  many  things  this  day  in 
a  dream  because  of  him.  (5)  Meanwhile  the  rulers  per- 
suaded the  multitudes  that  they  should  ask  for  Barabbas, 
and  destroy  Jesus.  But  the  governor,  desiring  to  release 
Jesus,  said,  which  of  the  two  will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you? 
Shall  I  release  the  King  of  the  Jews?  But  they  cried  out 
altogether,  saying.  Away  with  this  man,  and  release  Barab- 
bas. Pilate  saith  unto  them,  W^hat  then  shall  I  do  unto 
Jesus  who  is  called  Christ?  They  all  say,  Let  him  be 
crucified.  And  he  said,  What  evil  hath  he  done?  But  they 
cried  out  exceedingly,  Let  him  be  crucified.  (7)  So  when 
Pilate  saw  that  he  prevailed  nothing,  but  rather  that  a  tu- 


Life  of  Christ.  253 

mult  was  arising-,  he  took  water,  and  washed  his  hands  be- 
fore the  multitude,  saying,  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of 
this  righteous  man;  see  ye  to  it.  And  all  the  people  said, 
His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children.  (8)  Then  re- 
leased he  unto  them  Rarabbas ;  but  Jesus  he  delivered  up  to 
their  will. 

433.  Scourging  and  Mocking,  (i)  Then  the  soldiers 
of  the  governor  took  Jesus  into  the  court  yard  of  the  Prse- 
torium  where  they  stripped  and  scourged  him,  a  punish- 
ment which  usually  preceded  crucifixion.  (2)  Then  they 
put  on  him  a  scarlet  robe,  platted  a  crown  of  thorns  and 
put  upon  his  head,  and  a  reed  in  his  right  hand,  kneeled 
down  before  him,  and  mocked  him,  saying.  Hail,  King  of 
the  Jews !  And  they  spat  upon  him,  and  took  the  reed  and 
smote  him  on  the  head. 

434.  Pilate's  Final  Attempt  to  Release  Jesus.  ( [ ) 
After  the  scourging  and  abuse  Pilate  went  out  again  and 
saith,  I  bring  him  out  to  you  that  ye  may  know  that  I  find 
no  crime  in  him.  (2)  Jesus  came  out  wearing  the  crown 
of  thorns  and  the  purple  garment.  And  Pilate  saith  unto 
them.  Behold,  the  man!  (3)  When  the  chief  priests  and 
the  officers  saw  him,  they  cried  out.  Crucify  him,  crucify 
him !  Pilate  saith.  Take  him  yourselves,  and  crucify  him : 
for  I  find  no  crime  in  him.  (4)  The  Jews  answered.  We 
have  a  law,  and  by  that  law  he  ought  to  die,  because  he 
made  himself  the  Son  of  God.  When  Pilate  heard  this  he 
was  the  more  afraid:  and  entered  into  the  Prsetorium,  and 
saith  unto  Jesus,  Whence  art  thou  ?  But  Jesus  gave  him  no 
answer.  (5)  Pilate  saith,  Speakest  thou  not  unto  me? 
knowest  thou  not  that  I  have  power  to  release  thee,  and  to 
crucify  thee?  Jesus  answered.  Thou  wouldest  have  no 
power  against  me,  except  it  were  given  thee  from  above : 
therefore  he  that  delivered  me  unto  thee  hath  greater  sin. 
Upon  this  Pilate  sought  to  release  him :  (6)  The  Jews  cried 
out.  If  thou  release  this  man,  thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend : 
every  one  that  maketh  himself  a  king  speaketh  against 
C;)L'?ar.      (7)   When  Pilate  heard  these  words,  he  brought 


254  Life  of  Christ. 

Jesus  out,  and  sat  down  on  the  judgment-seat  at  a  place 
called  the  Pavement  (Hebrew,  Gabbatha).  It  was  the 
Preparation  of  the  passover  about  the  sixth  hour.  And  he 
saith  unto  the  Jews,  Behold,  your  King!  They  cried  out, 
Away  with  him,  away  with  him,  crucify  him !  Pilate  saith 
unto  them,  Shall  I  crucify  your  King?  The  chief  priests 
answered,  We  have  no  king  but  Cresar.  Then  he  delivered 
him  unto  them  to  be  crucified.  (8)  They  took  off  from 
him  the  robe,  and  put  on  him  his  garments,  and  led  him 
away  to  crucify  him, 

.135.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources;  give 
an  accurate  outline  of  the  trial;  locate  places  and  trace  the  Lord's 
movements  on  the  map;  memorize  Jno.  18:37.  2.  The  Sanhedrin 
could  condemn  but  it  could  not  execute  the  criminal.  Singularly 
enough  the  power  to  execute  was  taken  from  the  Sanhedrin  just  a 
few  years  before  the  death  of  Christ.  Thus  it  happened  that  both 
Jews  and  Gentiles  became  guilty  of  the  Lord's  death.  The  gov- 
ernor might  simply  confirm  the  decision  of  the  Jewish  judges, 
or  he  might  give  the  prisoner  a  new  trial.  3.  Pilate  was  the  sixth 
Roman  procurator  of  Judca  after  the  banishment  of  Archilaus  and 
reigned  from  26-36  A.  D.,  usually  residing  at  Caesarea.  He  became 
odious  both  to  Jews  and  Samaritans  for  his  cruelty  and,  being 
accused  by  the  latter,  was  banished  by  the  emperor  Caligula  to 
Vienne  in  Gaul  and  while  there  he  committed  suicide.  According 
to  a  legend  he  sought  refuge  in  the  recesses  of  a  mountain  near 
Lucerne  which  mountain  still  bears  his  name,  "Pilatus."  He  was 
born  in  Seville,  Spain,  one  of  the  four  cities  which  enjoyed  the 
right  of  Roman  citizenship.  He  was  twice  married.  Having  aban- 
doned his  first  wife,  he  subsequently  married  Claudia,  the  youngest 
daughter  of  Julia,  the  prostitute  daughter  of  emperor  Augustus. 
The  reputed  father  of  Claudia  was  one  Tiberius  a  Roman  knight. 
She  was  married  to  Pilate  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  Notwith- 
standing the  unfavorable  record  of  her  ancestors  she  seems  to 
have  been  a  woman  of  tender  and  noble  impulse.  4.  Praetorium 
was  the  name  for  the  headquarters  of  a  Roman  general  or  governor, 
wherever  he  happened  to  be.  The  capital  of  the  Roman  procurator 
of  Judea  was  Caesarea.  During  the  feasts  he  usually  came  up  to 
Jerusalem  to  keep  order  and  quickly  suppress  any  insurrection. 
Here  he  resided  either  in  the  tower  of  Antonia,  adjoining  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  temple  or  in  the  splendid  palace  of  Herod  the 
Great.     5.  Pilate  scornfully  refused  the  audacious  demand  of  the 


Life  of  Christ.  255 

rulers  to  execute  Jesus  without  even  knowing  the  charges  against 
him.  6.  They  accused  him  of  treason,  knowing  that  the  charge  of 
blasphemy  would  not  stand  in  a  Roman  court.  At  the  very  last, 
when  even  this  charge  seemed  to  fail  to  secure  a  conviction  they 
brought  out  the  original  accusation  before  the  Sanhedrin.  7. 
Pilate  being  only  a  procurator  had  neither  quaestor  ("asker"),  nor 
lictor  ("scourger").  Hence  he  himself  had  to  conduct  the  examina- 
tion and  the  soldiers  scourged  Jesus.  These  little  details  testify  to 
the  accuracy  of  the  Gospels.  8.  In  John  18:34  Jesus  means  to  saj', 
"Do  you  ask  this  question  of  your  own  initiative,  or  is  this  the 
charge  that  the  Jews  preferred  against  me?"  Jesus  knew  that  the 
charge  before  the  Sanhedrin '  was  blasphemy.  9.  What  is  truth,- 
An  expression  (a)  of  contempt  by  a  practical  politician  for  specu- 
lations on  questions  of  morality;  (b)  of  scepticism  which  denied 
the  objective  reality  of  truth  (Academics)  ;  (c)  or,  of  despondencj'. 
10.  When  Pilate  heard  the  word  "Galilee"  he  determined  on  a 
double  stroke  of  diplomacy:  (a)  to  rid  himself  of  a  troublesome 
responsibility;  (b)  to  conciliate  Herod,  with  whom  he  was  on  un- 
friendly terms,  due  perhaps  to  the  slaughter  of  the  Galileans  (Lu. 
13:1).  II.  0)1  Herod  Antipas,  see  chapter  on  "The  Political 
World."  He  lived  either  in  his  father's  palace  or  in  the  palace  of 
the  Maccabees  (Jos.  Ant.  20,  8,  4).  12.  Plerod  probably  thought 
that  Jesus  was  a  juggler  or  magician,  and  that  He  would  perform 
some  tricks  to  amuse  him.  But  his  foolish  questions  received  no 
answers.  13.  Herod  for  some  reason  shrank  from  settling  the 
case  which  Pilate  had  committed  to  him.  Perhaps  the  memory  of 
John  the  Baptist  troubled  his  conscience.  His  return  of  the  prison- 
er to  Pilate  seems  to  have  been  regarded  by  Pilate  as  a  flattering 
recognition  of  his  superior  wisdom,  and  so  served  to  bring  the 
two  rulers  into  a  friendly  relation  to  each  other.  14.  The  custom  of 
releasing  a  prisoner  on  the  passover  was  probably  of  Jewish  origin, 
to  remind  the  people  of  their  father's  release  from  Egypt,  and  was 
continued  by  the  Romans  from  motives  of  policy.  15.  Barabbas  is 
a  patronymic,  "bar" — son  ;  "abba" — father.  A  remarkable  coincid- 
ence. Some  mss.  give  the  name  as  "Jesus  Barabbas" — Jesus,  Son 
of  the  Father.  16.  Pilate's  zvife  had  her  dream  either  in  the  night 
before,  and  in  that  case  we  must  assume  that  she  knew  something 
of  the  conspiracy  going  on ;  or  during  a  brief  rest  while  Jesus  was 
led  to  Herod.  17.  The  instrument  for  scourging  was  a  whip  with 
leather  lashes  loaded  with  lead  and  iron ;  nails  and  pieces  of  bones 
being  stuck  into  the  scourges.  It  cut  the  flesh  to  the  bone  and 
sometimes  itself  caused  death.     18.  The  name  "Son  of  God"   (Jno. 

19:7-8)  made  Pilate  afraid  of  the  wrath  of  some  unknown  deity. 

Hence  the  question  and  his  renewed  endeavor  to  free  Jesus.     19. 


256  Life  of  Christ. 

Note  in  John  19:  12  how  skillfully  the  priests  compel  Pilate  to 
balance  the  life  of  Jesus  against  his  own  interests.  He  could 
never  have  justified  himself  before  the  emperor  Tiberius  for  having 
released  a  man  "speaking  against  Caesar"  and  whom  the  head  of 
the  Jewish  nation  denounced  as  a  traitor  and  rebel.  Moreover, 
Pilate  had  already  given  offence  to  the  Jews.  His  administration 
was  marked  by  severity  and  he  was  regarded  by  the  Jews  as  a 
bad  governor  and  a  bad  man.  He  therefore  chose  to  protect  his 
own  interests. 

436.  I.  The  judgment  scat  ("bcma")  was  a  portable  tribunal 
which  symbolized  the  majesty  of  the  law.  So  necessary  was  this 
considered  to  the  form  of  justice  that  Julius  Caesar  carried  about 
with  him  on  his  expeditions  pieces  of  marble  which  could  readily 
be  fitted  into  a  "bema."  In  Jerusalem  it  stood  on  a  "pavement," 
which  was  a  mosaic  floor  (Suet.  Cocsar,  461).  2.  Recently  a  por- 
tion of  this  pavement  has  been  uncovered  under  the  convent  of 
the  Sisters  of  Zion,  just  north  of  the  temple  area  near  the  "Ecce 
Homo"  arch.  At  any  rate  this  pavement  was  evidently  used  at 
some  time  by  Roman  soldiers,  since  it  has  scratched  upon  it  gam- 
bling devices,  such  as  were  numerous  on  the  Roman  pavements  in 
Italy.  3.  The  Scala  Santa  in  Rome  is  believed  by  many  to  be  the 
stairway  which  led  up  to  the  "pavement."  These  28  steps  w^ere 
consequently  touched  by  our  Lord,  and  therefore  sacred.  An  indul- 
gence for  9  years  is  granted  to  all  who  ascend  the  28  steps  on  their 
knees.  4.  Outside  of  the  N.  T.  we  have  a  brief  notice  of  Christ's 
death  from  the  Roman  historian,  Tacitus,  who  in  speaking  of  the 
Christians  says,  "The  author  of  this  name  was  Christ,  who  was 
capitally  punished  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius  by  Pontius  Pilate."  5. 
The  tradition  that  Pilate  sent  a  report  of  Christ's  trial  to  the  em- 
peror Tiberius  (14-37),  is  intrinsically  probable.  The  early  Fathers 
mention  such  an  account  as  circulating  in  their  day.  6.  In  1280 
a  plate  of  brass  was  discovered  in  Aquilla,  Italy,  which  contains  the 
"judgment  against  Jesus,"  engraved  in  Hebrew  letters.  It  is  one 
of  twelve  plates  which  were  sent  by  the  Sanhedrin  to  the  twelve 
tribes.  The  writing  is  as  follows :  In  the  seventeenth  year  of  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  Tiberius,  and  on  the  24th  day  of  the  month, 
in  the  most  holy  city  of  Jerusalem,  during  the  pontificate  of  Annas 
and  Caiaphas,  Pontius  Pilate,  intendent  of  the  province  of  Lower 
Galilee,  sitting  to  judgment  in  the  presidential  seat  of  the  praetors, 
sentences  Jesus  of  Nazareth  to  death  on  a  cross  between  robbers, 
because  the  numerous  and  notorious  testimonies  prove:  i.  Jesus 
is  a  misleader.  2.  He  has  excited  the  people  to  sedition.  3.  He 
is  an  enemy  to  the  laws.  4.  He  calls  himself  the  Son  of  God. 
5.  He   calls   himself,    falsely,   the    King   of   Israel.     6.  He   went   to 


Life  of  Christ.  257 

the  temple  followed  by  a  multitude  carrying  palms  in  their  hands. 
Pilate  orders  the  centurion,  Quirrillis  Cornelius,  to  bring  him 
to  the  place  of  execution.  Forbids  all  persons,  rich  or  poor,  to  pre- 
vent the  execution  of  Jesus.  The  witnesses  who  have  signed  the 
execution  of  Jesus  are :  i.  Daniel  Robani,  Pharisee.  2.  John 
Zorobable.  3.  Raphael  Roban,  4.  Capet.  Jesus  to  be  taken  out 
of  Jerusalem  through  the  gate  of  Tournes.  7.  A  careful  study  of 
the  reports  of  the  four  gospels  leave  it  extremely  doubtful  whether 
Jesus  really  had  a  trial  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term  or  whether 
he  was  not  rather  "lynched;"  Pilate,  indeed,  made  an  attempt  to  try 
Him,  but  later  he  failed  to  recognize  any  rights  on  the  part  of 
Jesus,  and  for  personal  considerations  he  finally  ratified  the  sen- 
tence pronounced  by  the  Jewish   Sanhedrin. 

437.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  The  representatives  of  church  and 
state,  of  the  Jews  and  the  Romans  united  in  encompassing  the  death 
of  Jesus.  2.  Foolish  or  inquisitive  questions  receive  no  answer.  3. 
Wives  should  be  the  guardian  angels  of  their  husbands.  4.  It  is 
a  remarkable  fact  that  we  read  of  no  woman  contributing  any- 
thing to  the  sufferings  of  the  Lord.  The  "maid"  in  Peter's  denial 
simply  repeated  what  she  had  heard  the  men  say.  5.  What  will 
you  do  with  Jesus?  6.  Pilate  shows  that  moral  weakness  makes 
a  man  capable  of  any  wickedness. 

438.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  60 ;  Andrews,  p.  528 : 
Stalker,  II174-189.  See  D.  B.  on  Pilate  and  Herod;  on  Pilate's  con- 
siderate treatment  of  Jesus,  see  Hanna,  p.  700;  Hobs,  The  Court  of 
Pilate  (a  story)  ;  on  the  Praetorium,  see  The  Week  of  Passion, 
Edersheim  H,  533-618;  Chandler,  Trial  of  Jesus  from  a  Lawyer's 
Standpoint,  2  vol. ;  Stalker,  Trial  and  Death  of  Jesus,  Ch.  4-8. 
Rodemeyer,  Frauen  der  Bibel.  On  the  crown  of  thorns  and  Barab- 
bas,  see  Barton's  Week  of  Passion,  pp.  185,  i86.  On  the  charges 
of  the  Samaritans  against  Pilate,  see  Maclair's  N.  T.  Hist.,  308; 
Davis,  D.  B.  38,  on  Tower  of  Antonia;  On  C?esar,  Davis,  p.  100; 
Pilate,  p.  583 ;  scourge,  p.  653. 

439-  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  Does  not  Jno.  18:28  contain 
an  illustration  of  the  parable  of  the  mote  and  beam?  2.  Why  were 
the  rulers  unwilling  to  prefer  charges  against  Jesus  before  Pilate? 
3.  How  do  the  charges  before  the  Sanhedrin  and  before  Pilate  dif- 
fer? 4.  Why  did  the  last  charge  of  Christ's  kingship  attract  Pilate's 
attention  first?  5.  Show  how  and  where  the  cry,  "his  blood  come 
over  us  and  our  children,"  was  fulfilled?  6.  What  does  Paul  call 
Christ's  declarations  before  Pilate?     (i  Tim.  6:13). 


258  Life  of  Christ. 

CHAPTER  47. 

Crucifixion  and  Burial. 

Matt.  27:32-66;  Mk.   15:21-47;  Lu.  23:26-56;  Jno.   19: 
16-42.     Harmony  140- 141. 

440.  The  March  to  Calvary.  ( i }  When  they  led  Jesus 
away,  he  first  bore  his  cross  himself.  But  probably  he  soon 
broke  down  from  exhaustion.  (2)  For  they  compel  Simon 
of  Cyrcne,  coming  from  the  country,  the  father  of  Alexan- 
der and  Rufus,  to  bear  his  cross.  (3)  There  followed  him 
a  great  multitude  of  the  people,  and  of  zvomen  who  be- 
wailed him.  But  Jesus  said,  Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep 
not  for  me,  but  weep  for  yourselves,  and  your  children. 
For  if  they  do  these  things  in  the  green  tree,  what  shall  be 
done  in  the  dry?  (4)  Two  malefactors  were  also  led  with 
him  to  be  put  to  death.  (5)  They  brought  him  to  a  place 
which  is  called  The  Skull  (in  Hebrew  Golgotha). 

441.  The  Crucifixion,  (i)  Here  they  offered  him  wine 
mingled  with  gall  or  myrrh.  But  when  he  tasted  it,  he 
would  not  drink.  (2)  Then  they  crucified  him,  and  the 
malefactors,  one  on  the  right  hand  and  the  other  on  the 
left.  (3)  It  was  the  third  hour  (9  a.  m.).  (4)  Pilate 
wrote  a  superscription  of  his  accusation  which  they  set  over 
his  head,  namely,  jEsus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  oe  the 
Jews.  This  title  read  many  of  the  Jews,  for  the  place  was 
nigh  to  the  city ;  and  it  was  written  in  Hebrew,  in  Latin, 
and  in  Greek.  The  chief  priests  said  to  Pilate,  Write  not, 
The  King  of  the  Jews ;  but,  that  he  said,  I  am  King  of  the 
Jews,  l^ilate  answered.  What  I  have  written  I  have  writ- 
ten. (5)  The  soldiers  took  his  garments  and  made  four 
parts,  to  every  soldier  a  part ;  but  as  the  coat  was  without 
seam,  woven  from  the  top  throughout,  they  said.  Let  us  not 
rend  it,  but  cast  lots  for  it,  whose  it  shall  be.  (6)  Then  they 
sat  down  and  watched  him. 

442.  Attitude  of  the  people.     Four  classes  are  men- 


Life  of  Christ.  259 

tioned.  (i)  The  people  stood  beholding.  (2)  They  that 
passed  by  railed  on  him,  wagging  their  heads,  saying,  Thou 
that  destroyest  the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three  days, 
save  thyself :  if  thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from 
the  cross.  (3)  The  rulers  and  the  chief  priests  mocking 
him,  with  the  scribes  and  elders  said.  He  saved  others ;  him- 
self he  cannot  save.  He  is  the  King  of  Israel ;  let  him  now 
come  down  from  the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  on  him. 
He  trusteth  on  God ;  let  him  deliver  him  now,  if  he  desireth 
him :  for  he  said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God.  (4)  The  soldiers 
also  mocked  him. 

443.  The  Seven  Last  Words,  (i)  While,  or  soon  after, 
Jesus  was  nailed  to  the  cross,  he  prayed :  Father,  forgive  ' 
them;  for  they  knozv  not  ivhat  they  do.  (2)  At  first  both 
robbers  cast  upon  him  the  same  reproach  as  the  others. 
One  of  them  said,  Art  thou  not  the  Christ?  Save  thyself 
and  us.  But  later  the  other  rebuking  him  said.  Dost  thou 
not  fear  God,  seeing  thou  art  in  the  same  condemnation? 
And  we  indeed  justly;  for  vv^e  receive  the  due  reward  of 
our  deeds :  but  this  man  hath  done  nothing  amiss.  And  he 
said,  Jesus,  remember  me  when  thou  comest  in  thy  king-^ 
dom.  And  he  said  unto  him.  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  To-day  2. 
shalt  thou  he  zvith  me  in  Paradise.  (3)  There  were  stand- 
ing by  the  cross  of  Jesus  4  women:  his  mother;  his  mother's 
sister  (Salome,  Matt.  27:56);  JMary  the  wife  of  Clopas, 
and  Alary  ]\Iagdalene.  When  Jesus  saw  his  mother  and  the 
disciple  standing  by  whom  he  loved  (John),  he  saith  unto 
his  mother.  Woman,  behold  thy  son!  Then  saith' he  to  the  -3 
disciple,  Behold,  thy  mother!  And  from  that  hour  the  dis- 
ciple took  her  unto  his  own  home.  (4)  Now  from  the  sixth 
hour  there  was  darkness  over  all  the  land  until  the  ninth 
hour.  And  about  the  ninth  hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sahachthani?  that  is,  My  God,  ^ 
my  God,  zvhy  hast  thou  forsaken  me?  And  some  of  them 
that  stood  there,  when  they  heard  it,  said,  This  man  calleth 
Elijah.  (5)  While  they  were  yet  speaking  Jesus  said,  I  5 
thirst.     There  v/as  set  there  a  vessel   full  of  vinegar;  so 


26o  Life  of  Christ. 

one  put  a  sponge  full  of  the  vinegar  upon  hyssop,  and 
brought  it  to  his  mouth,  but  the  rest  said,  Let  be;  let  us 
see  whether  Elijah  cometh  to  save  him.  (6)  When  Jesus 
^■'  had  received  the  vinegar,  he  said.  It  is  finished.  (7)  Then 
_  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice.  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  com- 
mend my  spirit.  After  these  words  he  bowed  his  head  and 
gave  up  his  spirit. 

444.  Happenings  after  Christ's  death.  ( i  )  When 
Jesus  died  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  two  from  the 
top  to  the  bottom.  (2)  The  earth  did  quake;  and  the  rocks 
were  rent.  (3)  The  tombs  were  opened;  and  many  bodies 
of  the  saints  were  raised ;  and  coming  forth  out  of  the  tombs 
after  his  resurrection  they  entered  into  the  holy  city  and 
appeared  unto  many.  (4)  The  centurion,  and  they  that 
were  with  him  watching  Jesus,  when  they  saw  the  earth- 
quake, and  the  things  that  were  done,  feared  exceedingly, 
saying,  Truly  this  was  a  righteous  man  and  the  Son  of  God. 
(5)  When  the  multitudes  beheld  these  things  they  returned 
home  smiting  their  breasts.  (6)  The  Jews  because  it  was 
the  Preparation,  that  the  bodies  should  not  remain  on  the 
cross  upon  the  sabbath  (for  the  day  of  that  sabbath  was 
a  high  day),  asked  of  Pilate  that  their  legs  might  be  broken, 
and  that  they  might  be  taken  away.  The  soldiers  brake  the 
legs  of  the  first,  and  of  the  other  that  was  crucified  with 
him :  but  when  they  came  to  Jesus,  and  saw  that  he  was 
dead  already,  they  brake  not  his  legs :  Yet  one  of  the  sol- 
diers with  a  spear  pierced  his  side,  and  straightway  there 
came  out  blood  and  water. 

4J5.  The  Burial  of  Jesus.  (1)  Joseph  from  Arimathea, 
a  rich  man,  a  counsellor  of  honorable  estate,  who  had  not 
consented  to  their  counsel  and  deed,  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  but 
secretly  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  went  boldly  to  Pilate  on  Good 
Friday  afternoon  and  asked  for  the  body  of  Jesus.  (2)  Pi- 
late marvelled  if  he  were  already  dead:  and  calling  unto 
him  the  centurion,  he  asked  him  whether  he  had  been  any 
wbiile  dead.  And  when  he  learned  it  of  the  centurion,  lie 
granted  the  corpse  to  Joseph.     And  he  bought  a  linen  cloth, 


Life  of  Christ.  261 

and  took  away  the  body.  (3)  There  came  also  Nicodemus, 
bringing  a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes  about  a  hundred 
pound.  Both  men  bound  the  body  of  Jesus  in  linen  cloths 
with  the  spices,  as  the  custom  of  the  Jews  is  to  bury.  (4) 
Now  in  the  place  where  he  was  crucified  there  was  a  gar- 
den ;  and  in  the  garden  Joseph  had  a  new  tomb  hewn  out 
in  the  rock  wherein  was  never  man  yet  laid.  There  then 
because  of  the  Jews'  Preparation  (for  the  tomb  was  nigh 
at  hand)  they  laid  Jesus.  (5)  They  rolled  a  great  stone  to 
the  door  of  the  tomb.  (6)  Mary  Magdalene  and  Mary  the 
mother  of  Joses  were  sitting  over  against  the  sepulchre  and 
beheld  where  he  was  laid. 

446.  The  Watch  at  the  Sepulchre,  (i)  On  Saturday 
which  is  the  day  after  the  Preparation,  the  chief  priests 
and  the  Pharisees  said  to  Pilate,  Sir,  we  remember  that 
that  deceiver  said  while  he  was  yet  alive,  After  three  days 
I  rise  again.  Command  therefore  that  the  sepulchre  be 
made  sure  until  the  third  day,  lest  haply  his  disciples  come 
and  steal  him  away,  and  say  unto  the  people,  He  is  risen 
from  the  dead ;  and  the  last  error  will  be  worse  than  the 
first.  Pilate  said.  Ye  have  a  guard :  go,  make  it  as  sure  as 
ye  can.  So  they  made  the  sepulchre  sure,  sealing  the  stone, 
the  guard  being  with  them. 

447.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources;  locate 
places;  give  an  accurate  and  detailed  outline  of  the  events  of  the 
chapter;  memorize  the  seven  words  on  the  cross.  2.  The  day  of 
Christ's  death  is  called  Good  Friday,  because  on  it  men  were  re- 
deemed ;  the  German  "Charf reitag"  may  be  derived  from  "carus," 
dear,  which  would  mean  the  same ;  others  derive  char  from  a  root 
which  means  "care" ;  hence  a  "care-Friday,"  a  Friday  of  trouble. 
3.  The  cross  was  the  most  disgraceful  and  one  of  the  most  awful 
instruments  of  torture  among  the  Romans.  A  Roman  citizen  was 
therefore  not  allowed  to  be  crucified ;  only  slaves  and  foreigners. 
The  Jews  never  crucified  any  one,  their  mode  of  execution  was 
stoning.  4.  As  to  the  shape  of  the  cross  a  distinction  should  be  made 
between  the  cross  as  an  instrument  of  torture,  the  cross  of  history, 
and  the  cross  as  an  emblem,  the  cross  of  Christian  art.  Of  the 
latter  there  are  many  forms.  Of  the  cross  as  an  instrument  of 
punishment  there  were  five  shapes:     (i)  the  simple  "crux,"  a  mere 


262  Life  of  Christ. 

stake;  (2)  the  "Tau  cross,"  with  the  cross-piece  straight  across 
the  top  of  the  upright,  resemljhng  the  Greek  letter  "tau";  (3)  the 
"crux  immissa."  or  the  Latin  cross,  with  the  cross-piece  below  the 
top;  (4)  the  "crux  commissa,"  or  Greek  cross,  with  the  four  arms 
of  equal  length;  (5)  the  "crux  decussata,"  or  St.  Andrew's  cross, 
with  the  arms  crossed  obliquely. 


No.  1         No.  2  No.  3  No.  4  No.  5 

5.  From  Mark  15  :  26,  saying  that  a  superscription  was  placed  above, 
it  has  been  inferred  that  it  was  the  traditional  cross,  the  crux  im- 
missa, on  which  Christ  died.  6.  The  crosses  were  not  nearly  so 
high  as  generally  represented,  the  body  being  often  only  about 
one  or  two  feet  above  the  ground.  On  the  crossbar  the  hands 
of  the  condemned  man  were  nailed  or  in  some  other  way  fastened. 
The  body  rested  on  a  peg  driven  into  the  upright  post.  The  person 
ordinarily  died  from  starvation  and  pain,  not  from  any  fatal  in- 
jury. 7.  On  the  way  to  the  place  of  execution  the  condemned  man 
carried  the  crossbar  (not  the  entire  cross).  He  was  preceded  by  a 
herald  bearing  a  piece  of  wood  upon  which  was  written  the  name 
of  the  crime  he  had  committed.  This  would  be  nailed  to  the  cross. 
(Mark  15:26.)  8.  The  Roman  soldiers  being  too  proud  and  the 
Jews  too  superstitious  or  hateful  to  carry  the  crossbar  of  Jesus, 
when  his  strength  failed,  they  pressed  a  passer-by  into  service.  9. 
Simon  was  either  already  a  friend  of  Jesus  or  the  cross-bearing 
led  to  his  conversion.  At  any  rate  his  two  sons,  Alexander  and 
Rufus,  became  prominent  members  of  the  early  church  and  should 
almost  certainly  be  identified  with  those  mentioned  in  Rom.  16:  13 
and  Acts  19:33.  10.  Luke  23:31  draws  the  comparison  between  his 
sufferings  and  those  threatening  his  people  by  the  use  of  a  cur- 
rent proverb.  The  green  tree  representing  innocence  and  the  dry 
tree  guilt.  11.  The  traditional  site  of  Golgotha  (Hebrew)  or  Cal- 
vary (Latin),  meaning  place  of  skull,  or  Schaedelstaette,  is  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  from  the  n.  w.  corner  of  the  temple, 
within  the  walls  of  the  present  city,  under  the  church  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  which  was  erected  by  the  Empress  Helena  A.  D.  335, 
who  decided  on  this  spot  by  miracles  of  healing  by  means  of  the 
cross.     But  of  late  years  many  scholars  favor  the  skull-like  emi- 


Life  of  Christ.  263 

nence  just  outside  the  present  wall,  north  of  the  city,  near  Jere- 
miah's Grotto.  The  narrative  calls  for  a  place  without  the  city 
(Heb.  13:  12),  near  some  public  highway  (Mk.  15:29),  visible  from 
afar  (L,u.  23:4,  9),  containing  a  garden  (Jno.  19:41).  Nowhere 
in  the  gospels  is  Calvary  called  a  "mount."  12.  The  place  was 
named  Golgotha  (The  Skull),  either  because  of  the  shape  of  the 
hill,  or,  because  it  was  the  public  place  of  execution,  strewn  with  the 
remains  of  condemned  criminals.  13.  //  Jesus  was  tried  in  the 
tower  of  Antonia  or  its  immediate  vicinity,  the  distance  which  he 
walked  may  have  been  a  third  of  a  mile.  14.  That  Jesus  was  placed 
between  two  robbers  may  have  been  done  at  the  instigation  of  the 
priests  who  thus  unconsciously  would  have  helped  to  fulfill  the 
prophecy. 

448.  I.  The  superscription  was  evidently  drawn  up  by  Pilate  him- 
self and,  in  order  that  everyone  might  understand  it,  it  was  composed 
in  three  languages — Hebrew  or  Aramaic,  the  local  speech  of  the 
people,  Greek,  the  language  of  commerce  and  culture,  and  Latin, 
the  official  language  of  the  Roman  empire.  It  is  variously  reported 
by  each  of  the  four  evangelists.  This  may  have  been  because  the 
inscription  itself  differed  in  each  of  the  three  languages,  or  perhaps 
because  each  evangelist  records  only  a  part  of  what  Pilate  wrote, 
as  shown  in  the  following  scheme. 

Pilate:  This  is  Jesus the  King  of  the  Jews. 

Matthev<^:      the  King  of  the  Jews. 

Mark:  This  is the  King  of  the  Jews. 

Luke:  Jesus  of  Nazareth  the  King  of  the  Jews. 

John:  This  is  Jesus  of  Nazareth  the   King  of  the  Jews. 

2.  This  inscription  was  unquestionably  intended  by  Pilate  as  a  re- 
venge on  the  haughty  and  implacable  priests  for  their  momentary 
triumph  over  him,  and  in  derision  of  their  present  impotence.  That 
a  crucified  malefactor  should  be  so  described  they  took  as  a  deadly 
insult.  It  is  difficult  to  think  of  Pilate  as  not  providentially  guided 
in  proclaiming  a  truth  so  profoundly  significant.  3.  On  crucifixes 
these  four  letters  are  often  seen :  I.  N.  R.  I.,  which  mean  in  Latin : 
Jesus  Nazarenus  Rex  Judaeorum — Jesus  of  Nazareth,  King  of  the 
Jews.  4.  Tlie  differences  in  the  inscription  in  the  four  gospels  is 
a  decisive  proof  that  true  inspiration  does  not  preclude  varieties  of 
expressions,  even  in  quoting  important  documents.  5.  The  clothes 
of  the  condemned  were  a  perquisite  of  the  executioners.  Of  the 
outer  garments  they  made  four  parts,  probably  by  loosing  the 
seams.  The  tunic,  a  close  fitting  undergarment,  perhaps  the  skill- 
ful work  of  some  loving  hand,  had  no  seams,  and  was  so  precious 
that  they  decided  to  cast  lots.  6.  Mk.  15 :  25  says  that  Jesus  was 
crucified  at  the  third  hour  (9  a.  m.)  ;  but  according  to  Jno.  19:  14 


264  Life  of  Christ. 

the  trial  was  not  quite  over  at  "about  the  sixth  hour"  (12  noon), 
and  therefore  the  crucifixion  was  still  later.  It  is  probable  that 
both  writers  reckoned  the  time  roughly  by  the  position  of  the  sun 
in  the  heavens,  and  did  not  know  the  exact  hour.  People  did  not 
carry  watches.  John's  estimate  accords  better  with  the  probabil- 
ities of  the  case;  moreover,  he  was  present  at  the  cross.  7.  The 
soldiers'  business  was  to  watch,  so  that  the  bodies  might  not  be 
taken  down  by  friends,  or  unduly  molested  by  enemies.  8.  An  old 
tradition  says  that  Dionysius,  who  later  became  a  member  of  the 
coimcil  at  Athens,  was  studying  at  Heliopolis  in  Eg>'pt  on  the  day 
of  Christ's  death.  When  suddenly  the  sun  darkened,  a  priest  of 
that  temple  exclaimed,  "Either  Divinity  suffers  or  the  earth  is  near 
its  destruction."  Later,  when  Paul  preached  at  Athens,  Dionysius 
became  a  Christian  (Acts  17).  9.  This  darkness  was  not  due  to  an 
eclipse  of  the  sun,  because  the  passover  fell  at  the  time  when  the 
moon  was  full.  10.  Either  they  did  not  understand  the  Aramaic 
"Eli,"  or  Mt.  2y :  49  was  spoken  in  mockery.  The  appearance  of 
Elijah  was  by  the  Jews,  universally  accepted  as  the  sign  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  Messiah.  They  seemed  to  understand  words  as  a 
reproach  to  Elijah  for  failing  to  come  to  his  aid.  11.  TJie  zvord 
"woman"  in  this  tender  address  ( Jno.  19 :  26)  shows  clearly  that 
the  same  term  in  Jno.  2 :  4  does  not  indicate  lack  of  respect.  12. 
Jesus  committed  his  mother  to  John  and  not  to  his  four  brothers, 
because  he  was  present  and  they  were  not.  They  may  not  have 
been  in  Jerusalem  even,  and  immediate  help  was  necessary.  Prob- 
ably Mary  was  in  danger  of  collapsing  on  the  spot.  13.  The  punc- 
tuation of  Jno.  19:25,  and  in  the  text  of  this  chapter  shows  that 
there  were  not  three  but  four  women  standing  at  the  cross,  (a)  This 
avoids  the  improbable  supposition  of  two  sisters  having  the  same 
name;  (b)  The  natural  inference  from  a  comparison  of  Jno.  19: 
25  with  Mk.  15 :  40  is  that  Salome  is  the  same  as  "his  mother's  sis- 
ter." (c)  If  this  is  correct,  John's  silence  about  the  name  of  "his 
mother's  sister"  is  explained.  She  was  his  own  mother  and  he  is 
reserved  about  his  relatives.  He  never  mentions  his  own  name, 
nor  his  brother's,  nor  the  Virgin's  (his  aunt)  ;  (d)  The  very  ancient 
Syriac  version  Peshito,  adopts  this  view  by  inserting  "and"  before 
"Mary,  the  wife  of  Clopas."  On  the  bearing  of  this  interpretation 
on  the  relationships  to  Jesus,  see  §  185  (5). 

449.  I.  For  the  full  symbolism  of  the  reading  of  the  veil  read 
Heb.  9:3;  10:19.  This  miracle  may  explain  why  subsequently  a 
great  number  of  the  priests  became  Christians.  (Acts  6:  7.)  2.  The 
rising  of  the  saints  was  the  result,  not  the  immediate  accompani- 
ment, of  the  opening  of  the  tombs.  It  was  "after  his  resurrec- 
tion" that  they  appeared.     3.  According   to   opinions  which   carry 


Life  of  Christ.  265 

weight  the  centurion  was  a  German.  Investigation  of  the  old 
Roman  military  annals  has  shown  that  the  legion  stationed  at 
Jerusalem  at  this  time  was  composed  of  soldiers  from  southern 
Germany  near  the  river  Danube.  4.  The  words  of  the  centurion, 
"The  Son  of  God"  (margin  "a  son  of  God")  must  be  understood 
as  uttered  by  a  heathen.  He  evidently  thought  of  Jesus  as  a  sort 
of  a  demi-god.  5.  Jno.  ig :  31  recalls  the  lazv,  Deut.  21 :  25,  that 
one  "hung  upon  a  tree"  should  be  taken  down  before  night-fall, 
lest  his  corpse  should  bring  pollution  to  the  land.  6.  The  Romans 
left  the  bodies  to  moulder  under  the  sun  and  rain,  or  to  be  de- 
voured by  wild  beasts  (as  was  done  in  the  middle  ages).  The  Jews 
demanded  more  humane  treatment.  7.  Jno.  19 :  34  establishes  be- 
yond a  doubt  the  reality  of  Christ's  death,  which  is  a  condition 
of  a  real  resurrection.  8.  Jno.  19 :  35  shows  that  we  have  no  hear- 
say evidence,  but  eye  witness.  9.  Jno.  19 :  35  makes  it  probable  that 
John  ivas  the  only  one  of  the  twelve  who  had  witnessed  the  entire 
tragedj'.  10.  What  was  the  physical  cause  of  Christ's  death?  (a) 
It  was  due  to  a  rupture  of  the  heart;  or  (b)  to  the  struggles  and 
agonies  through  which  Jesus  had  passed;  (c)  his  physical  nature  had 
not  exhausted  itself  and  the  Lord  laid  down  his  life  by  an  act  of 
his  own  will  (Jno.  10 :  18.)  In  support  of  this  last  opinion  it  is 
cited  that  even  Pilate  was  surprised  that  Jesus  had  died  so  soon, 
and  that  the  evangelists  report  that  Jesus  died  as  a  strong  man 
with  a  loud  shout.  11.  The  beginning  of  the  Sabbath  (called  high, 
i.  e.  double  sacred,  because  in  the  passover  week,  Jno.  19:31)  made  it 
necessary  to  postpone  any  special  preparation  of  the  body  to  Sunday. 
12.  Pilate  was  surprised  that  Jesus  had  died  so  soon,  because  death 
seldom  supervened  before  three  days,  and  was  the  result  of  gradual 
benumbing  and  slow  starvation.  Sometimes  a  fire  was  kindled 
below  them,  or  lions  and  bears  came  to  devour  them.  The  Jews  did 
not  allow  such  barbarities,  and  substituted  breaking  of  the  bones 
and  the  coup  de  grace  with  a  view  of  hastening  death  and  mitigating 
the  suffering.  13.  The  traditional  site  of  Christ's  tomb  is  under 
the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  within  the  present  walls  of  Jeru- 
salem. It  has  lately  been  thought  that  it  may  have  been  one  of 
the  tombs  discovered  near  the  "New  Calvary,"  not  far  from  Jere- 
miah's grotto.  14.  While  Christ's  body  lay  in  the  tomb,  his  soul 
descended  into  hades  (the  O.  T.  sheol)  to  proclaim  his  victory 
(Acts  2:29-32;  13:35-37);  or  to  preach  (i  Peter  3 :  19,  20;  4:6). 
15.  As  this  zvafch  had  been  placed  there  on  the  Sabbath  and  by 
the  enemies  of  Christ  his  friends  seemed  to  have  known  nothing 
about  it  at  the  time,  for  the  women  on  Easter  morning  are  not  trou- 
bled about  a  Roman  guard  but  only  about  the  stone.  16.  The  stone 
was  sealed  probably  by  passing  a  cord  round  the  stone  to  the  two 


266  JJfe  of  Christ. 

sides  of  the  entrance.  This  was  sealed  with  wax  of  prepared  clay 
in  the  centre  and  at  the  ends,  so  that  the  stone  could  not  be  re- 
moved without  breaking  the  seals  on  the  cord. 

450.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  The  cross  a  revelation,  i,  of  the 
enormity  of  sin,  2,  of  God's  vicarious  love,  3,  of  Christ's  kingdom 
in  its  conquering  march  through  the  world.  2.  "In  hoc  vinces,"  was 
the  inscription  on  Constantine's  standard.  3.  In  the  cross  of  Christ 
I  glory.  4.  Sin  killed  Christ  in  a  double  sense;  the  sin  of  the 
world  and  the  sinful  behaviour  of  Judas,  Caiphas.  Pilate.  But 
Christ  kills  sin  by  crushing  the  serpent's  head.  (See  symbol  of 
serpent  at  the  foot  of  crucifixes.)  5.  This  enforced  service  brought 
upon  Simon  the  blessing  that  he  and  his  sons  become  prominent 
members  of  the  church.  6.  Like  other  weak  men,  Pilate  was  stub- 
born in  little  things  and  weak  in  great  crises.  His  refusal  to  change 
the  inscription  did  not  show  courage  but  childish  stubbornness, 
7.  The  famous  old  cathedral  at  Treves,  Germany,  claims  to  possess 
the  Holy  Coat  and  exhibits  the  same  every  25  years  to  millions  of 
pilgrims.  8.  The  object  of  each  of  the  7  words:  i,  intercession  for 
foes;  2,  pardon  for  penitents;  3,  tender  regard  for  the  bereaved; 
4,  expression  of  mental  anguish;  5,  physical  suffering;  6,  shout  of 
triumph  at  the  completion  of  his  mission ;  7,  laying  down  his  life. 
9.  All  three  died  because  of  sin.  Their  attitude  to  sin  is  as  fol- 
lows :  the  impenitent  robber  died  in  sin ;  the  penitent,  to  sin ;  Christ 
for  sin.  10.  Christ's  promise  to  the  thief  contradicts  the  doc- 
trines of  purgatory  and  of  the  "sleep  of  the  soul."  11.  That  there  is 
one  case  of  deathbed  repentance  recorded  in  Scripture  encourages 
hope  to  the  last,  that  there  is  but  one  discourages  presumptuous 
delay.  12.  Analyse  the  characters  of  the  church  at  the  cross.  13. 
The  rending  of  the  veil  symbolized  that  by  the  death  of  Christ  the 
Jewish  ceremonial  system  was  brought  to  an  end,  that  the  dark- 
ness of  the  Jewish  dispensation  had  given  way  to  the  clear  revela- 
tion of  the  Gospel;  that  the  way  to  the  mercy  seat  was  free  to 
all  without  a  priest  (Heb.  9:8;  10:  19-22).  14.  The  memory  of  the 
enemies  was  better  than  that  of  the  disciples.  (Matt.  27:63;  Jno. 
20:9.) 

451,  Reference  Literature.  Farrar.  Ch.  61;  Andrews,  p.  544; 
Stalker,  §§  iqo-iqS;  Stalker's  Trial  and  Death,  Ch.  11-23;  on  Cal- 
vary, see  Davis,  D.  B.,  Barton,  Week  of  Passion,  p.  18S;  Thirty 
Years'  Work  in  the  Holy  Land  by  the  Pal.  Explor.  Fund,  p.  228; 
on  crucifixion,  Davis,  D.  B. ;  on  the  various  patterns  of  crosses,  see 
Barton,  Week  of  Passion,  p.  190;  Davis;  Encycl.  Biblica,  I; 
Maclair,  N.  T.  Hist.  p.  311;  Smith's  N.  T.  Hist.  330  and  344;  for 
the  fulfillment  of  Lu.  23:28  see  Jos.  Bell,  Jud.  6:8,  5;  9:4;  on  the 
superscription,  McConaugh,  Life  of  Christ,  p.  161;  Aldrich,  J.  K. — 


JJfe  of  Christ.  267 

"Critical  Examination  of  the  Time  of  Our  Saviour's  Crucifixion ;" 
Der  Heilige  Rock  zu  Trier,  Herzog  End. ;  on  the  seven  words, 
Hast.  D.  of  C.  II,  616;  Piery's  D.  B.  811.  Sieghardus,  oder  der 
Hauptmann,  der  beim  Kreuze  stand,  (a  story)  ;  Oberammergau 
Passion  Play,  see  Sanford's  Herzog  and  SchafF — Herzog  End. 
Stroud,  W.— "The  Physical  Cause  of  the  Death  of  Christ;"  also 
in  Hanna's  Life  of  Christ;  Denny,  Death  of  Christ;  Hoellenfahrt, 
see  Herzog  and  Schaff-Herzog;  Barton's  Week  of  Passion,  188-200, 
on  Via  Dolorosa,  stations  of  the  cross,  the  superscription,  scala 
santa,  the  sigmata,  physical  cause  of  Christ's  death,  the  darkness, 
the  finding  of  the  true  cross,  legends  of  the  tree  of  the  cross. 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre ;  Paintings  by  Hofman  and  others ; 
passion  music :  Stabat  Mater,  by  Rosini ;  Bach's  on  St.  Matthew ; 
Stainer's  Crucifixion,  by  Schnecker,  and  others. 

452.  Questions  for  Discussion,  x.  In  what  sense  was  it  true 
that  Jesus  could  not  save  himself?  2. /What  did  the  rending  of  the 
veil  signify?  3.  Why  occurred  the  "appearance  of  the  saints  after 
Christ's  resurrection  (i  Cor.  15:20)?  4.  What  was  the  effect  of 
the  same  occurrences  on  the  centurion,  the  people,  the  friends  of 
Jesus  (Lu.  2Z  :  47-49).  5.  What  does  the  expression  "body  of  Jesus," 
so  carefully  used  by  all  the  evangelists  indicate  as  to  the  reality  of 
Christ's  death?  6.  Show  how  the  sealing  of  the  tomb  strengthens 
the  evidence  for  the  resurrection? 


DIVISION  VI. 
The  Forty  Days  of  Resurrection  Life. 

From  Easter  to  Ascension.     Sunday,  April  9,  to  Thursday, 
May  18,  A.  D.  30. 

CHAPTER  48. 

i 
The  Resurrection  and  Five  Appearances. 

Matt.  28:  1-15;  Mk.  16:  1-14;  Lu.  23:56-24:43;  Jno.  20: 
1-25.    Harmony  143-146. 

453.  Earthquake  and  the  Women  at  the  Tomb,  (i) 
When  the  Sabbath  was  passed  (on  Saturday  after  sunset), 
Mary  Magdalene,  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  Salome  and 
Joanna  bought  spices  that  they  might  anoint  him.  (2) 
Early  on  Sunday  morning  there  was  a  great  earthquake ; 
for  an  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from  heaven,  and 
rolled  away  the  stone,  and  sat  upon  it.  His  appearance  was 
as  lightning,  and  his  raiment  white  as  snow :  and  for  fear 
of  him  the  watchers  did  quake,  and  became  as  dead.  (3) 
About  the  same  time,  while  it  was  yet  dark,  the  four  women 
left  the  city,  and  arrived  at  the  tomb  when  the  sun  w^as 
risen.  They  were  saying  among  themselves,  Who  shall 
roll  us  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  tomb?  and 
looking  up,  they  see  that  the  stone  is  rolled  back :  for  it 
was  exceeding  great. 

454.  The  Empty  Tomb,  (i)  These  four  women  en- 
tered into  the  tomb  and  found  not  the  body  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  While  they  were  perplexed  behold,  two  men  stood 
by  them  in  dazzling  apparel :  and  as  they  were  affrighted 
and  bowed  down  their  faces  to  the  earth,  they  said  unto 

268 


Life  of  Christ.  269 

them,  Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead?  He  is  not 
here,  but  is  risen.  See  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay  and 
remember  how  he  spake  unto  you  when  he  was  yet  in  Gali- 
lee, saying  that  the  Son  of  man  must  be  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  sinful  men,  and  be  crucified,  and  the  third  day 
rise  again.  Go  quickly,  and  tell  his  disciples,  and  Peter, 
He  is  risen  from  the  dead ;  and  lo,  he  goeth  before  you  into 
Galilee ;  there  shall  ye  see  him :  lo,  I  have  told  you.  And 
they  departed  quickly  from  the  tomb  with  fear  and  great 
joy,  and  ran  to  bring  his  disciples  word,  but  said  nothing 
to  any  one  else  on  the  way,  for  they  were  afraid.  (2)  i\Iary 
Magdalene  separated  from  the  other  women  and  arrived 
first  at  the  house  where  the  apostles  were,  and  said,  They 
have  taken  away  the  Lord  out  of  the  tomb  and  we  know  not 
where  they  have  laid  him.  These  words  appeared  to  them 
as  idle  talk ;  and  they  disbelieved  them.  But  soon  after- 
wards Peter  and  John  went  toward  the  tomb.  They  run 
both  together;  but  John  outran  Peter  and  came  first  to  the 
tomb.  Stooping  and  looking  in,  he  seeth  the  linen  cloths 
lying;  yet  entered  he  not  in.  When  Peter  arrived  he  en- 
tered into  the  tomb ;  and  he  beholdeth  the  linen  cloths  lying, 
but  the  napkin,  that  was  upon  his  head,  not  lying  with  the 
linen  cloths,  but  rolled  up  in  a  place  by  itself.  Then  John 
also  entered  and  saw  and  believed.  For  as  yet  they  knew 
not  the  Scripture  that  he  must  rise  from  the  dead.  Then 
the  disciples  returned  to  their  home. 

455.  First  Appearance:  to  Mary  Magdalene.  (i) 
Mary  Magdalene  had  slowly  followed  Peter  and  John  from 
the  city  to  the  garden  and  arrived  after  they  had  returned. 
She  was  standing  at  the  tomb  weeping.  Looking  into  it 
she  beholdeth  two  angels  in  white  sitting,  one  at  the  head, 
and  one  at  the  feet,  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had  lain.  They 
say,  Woman,  why  weepest  thou?  She  saith,  Because  they 
have  taken  away  my  Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have 
laid  him.  (2)  When  she  turned  back  she  beholdeth  Jesus 
standing,  and  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus.  Jesus  saith,  Wom- 
an, why  weepest  thou?  whom  seekest  thou?  She,  supposing 


270  Life  of  Christ. 

him  to  be  the  gardener,  saith,  Sir,  if  thou  hast  borne  him 
hence,  tell  mc  where  thou  hast  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him 
away.  Jesus  saith,  Mary.  She  saith  in  Hebrew,  Rabboni; 
Jesus  saith,  Touch  me  not ;  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  unto 
the  Father;  but  go  unto  my  brethren,  and  say  to  them,  I 
ascend  unto  my  Father  and  your  Father,  and  my  God  and 
your  God.  Mary  Magdalene  telleth  the  disciples,  I  have 
seen  the  Lord ;  and  that  he  had  said  these  things  unto  her. 

456.  Second  Appearance:  to  the  three  Women,  (i) 
Soon  after  Peter  and  John  had  gone  to  the  tomb  the  other 
three  women  arrived  and  delivered  the  message  from  Jesus. 
Then  they  also  went  back  again  to  the  garden.  Here  Jesus 
met  them,  saying,  All  hail.  And  they  came  and  took  hold 
of  his  feet,  and  worshipped  him.  Then  saith  Jesus  unto 
them.  Fear  not :  go  tell  my  brethren  that  they  depart  into 
Galilee,  and  there  shall  they  see  me. 

457.  Report  of  the  Watch,  (i )  After  the  earthquake 
some  of  the  guard  came  into  the  city,  and  told  unto  the 
chief  priests  all  the  things  that  were  come  to  pass.  And 
w^hen  they  were  assembled  with  the  elders,  and  had  taken 
counsel,  they  gave  much  money  unto  the  soldiers,  saying, 
Say  ye.  His  disciples  came  by  night,  and  stole  him  away 
while  we  slept.  And  if  this  come  to  the  governor's  ears, 
we  will  persuade  him,  and  rid  you  of  care.  So  they  took 
the  money,  and  did  as  they  were  taught :  and  this  saying  was 
spread  abroad  among  the  Jews,  and  continueth  until  this 
day. 

458.  Third  Appearance:  On  the  Way  to  Emmaus. 
(i)  In  the  afternoon  of  the  Resurrection  Day,  Cleopas  and 
another  of  Christ's  follov\^ers  were  going  to  Emmaus.  (2) 
They  communed  with  each  other  of  all  these  things  which 
liad  happened.  (3)  Jesus  drew  near,  and  went  with  them. 
But  their  eyes  were  holden  that  they  should  not  know  him. 
He  said.  What  communications  are  these  that  ye  have? 
Cleopas  said.  Dost  thou  alone  sojourn  in  Jerusalem  and 
not  knov/  the  things  which  are  come  to  pass  there  in  these 
days?    He  said,  What  things?    They  said,  The  things  con- 


Life  of  Christ.  271 

cerning  Jesus  the  Nazarene,  who  was  a  prophet  mighty  in 
deed  and  word  before  God  and  all  the  people:  how  our 
rulers  delivered  him  up  to  be  crucified.  But  we  hoped  that 
it  was  he  who  should  redeem  Israel.  It  is  now  the  third 
day  since  these  things  came  to  pass.  (4)  Moreover  women 
of  our  company  amazed  us,  having  been  early  at  the  tomb ; 
and  when  they  found  not  his  body,  they  came,  saying,  that 
they  had  seen  angels,  who  said  that  he  was  alive.  And  cer- 
tain of  them  that  were  with  us  went  to  the  tomb,  and 
found  it  so:  but  him  they  saw  not.  (5)  He  said,  O  fooHsh 
men,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  in  all  that  the  prophets 
have  spoken !  Behooved  it  not  the  Christ  to  suffer  these 
things  and  to  enter  into  his  glory?  (6)  And  beginning 
from  Moses  and  from  all  the  prophets,  he  interpreted  the 
scriptures  concerning  himself.  (7)  When  they  drew  nigh 
unto  the  village  he  made  as  though  he  would  go  further. 
But  they  constrained  him,  saying.  Abide  with  us  ;  for  it  is 
toward  evening,  and  the  day  is  now  far  spent.  And  he 
went  in  to  abide  with  them.  When  he  had  sat  down  with 
them  to  meat,  he  took  the  bread  and  blessed ;  and  breaking 
it  gave  to  them.  (8)  Then  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  they 
knew  him ;  and  he  vanished  out  of  their  sight.  They  said, 
Was  not  our  heart  burning  within  us,  while  he  spake  to  us 
in  the  way,  while  he  opened  to  us  the  scriptures  ?  They  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem,  and  found  the  eleven  gathered  to- 
gether, and  them  that  were  with  them,  saying.  The  Lord  is 
risen  indeed,  and  hath  appeared  to  Simon.  And  they  re- 
hearsed the  things  that  happened  in  the  way. 

459.  Fourth  Appearance:  to  Peter,  Of  this  appear- 
ance we  have  the  reports  of  the  Ten  (Lu.  24:34)  and  of 
Paul  (i  Cor.  15:5),  but  no  particulars  as  to  time,  place 
and  attending  circumstances. 

460.  Fifth  Appearance :  to  the  Ten.  As  the  disciples 
from  Emmaus  yet  spoke  to  the  Ten,  who  met  behind  closed 
doors  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  Jesus  stood  in  the  midst  of  them, 
and  saith.  Peace  be  unto  you.  But  they  were  terrified,  and 
supposed  that  they  beheld  a  spirit.     He  said.  \\\\y  are  ye 


272  Life  of  Christ. 

troubled?  and  wherefore  do  questionings  arise  in  your 
heart?  Sec  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I  myself:  han- 
dle me,  and  see ;  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as 
ye  behold  me  having.  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he 
showed  them  his  hands,  his  side  and  his  feet.  And  while 
they  still  disbelieved  for  joy,  he  said,  Have  ye  here  anything 
to  eat?  And  they  gave  him  a  piece  of  a  broiled  fish.  And 
he  ate  before  them.  The  disciples  were  glad,  when  they 
saw  the  Lord.  Jesus  said  again.  Peace  be  unto  you ;  as  the 
Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.  When  he  had 
said  this,  he  breathed  on  them,  and  saith,  Receive  ye  the 
Holy  Spirit :  v/hose  soever  sins  ye  forgive,  they  are  for- 
given, whose  soever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained.  But 
Thomas,  called  Didymus,  was  not  with  them.  The  other 
disciples  said,  We  have  seen  the  Lord.  But  he  said,  Ex- 
cept I  shall  see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put 
my  finger  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  hand  into 
his  side,  I  will  not  believe. 

461.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources;  lo- 
cate places;  give  an  accurate  outline  of  the  events  of  the  day; 
memorize  Lu.  24 :  29.  2.  The  difficulty  of  arranging  all  the  events 
of  the  Easter  day  in  such  a  way  as  to  exhibit  a  perfect  harmony 
of  the  four  gospels  has  always  been  felt  by  accurate  Bible  students, 
and  has  always  been  used  to  discredit  the  records  by  negative 
critics.  It  arises  not  from  any  contradiction  between  them,  but 
from  the  fact  that  none  gives  a  complete  report  of  all  the  appear- 
ances. The  order  of  events  as  given  above  may  claim  probability, 
if  not  certainty.  3.  The  report  of  the  earthquake  came  no  doubt 
from  the  watchers,  some  of  whom  may  even  have  become  Chris- 
tians. 4.  The  stone  that  closed  the  toml)'s  mouth  was  not  a  rough 
boulder,  as  most  people  believe,  but  was  formed  like  a  cart-wheel 
or  mill-stone  which  moved  in  a  track.  Many  tombs  still  exist  in 
Palestine  that  were  fitted  with  such  rolling  doors.  Even  so  it 
troubled  the  women,  "for  it  was  very  great."  5.  The  act  of  the 
Lord's  rising,  and  his  coming  forth  from  the  tomb  was  seen  by  no 
human  eyes.  Exactly  at  what  hour,  in  what  manner,  in  what 
garment  he  came  forth  is  not  reported.  This  is  significant.  If 
tlie  accounts  were  the  inventions  of  men  we  should  look  for  in- 
formation on  these  very  points,  as  is  seen  in  the  "Gospel  of  Peter," 
written  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  century  which  professes  to 


Life  of  Christ.  273 

give  information  in  regard  to  the  very  act  of  resurrection.  Having 
described  how^  two  youths  descended  from  the  open  heaven  and 
entered  the  tomb  in  the  sight  of  the  soldiers,  it  continues — "They 
see  three  men  come  forth  from  the  grave  and  the  two  support  the 
one  and  a  cross  followed  them  and  the  heads  of  the  two  reach  to 
tlie  heaven,  but  the  head  of  the  one  whom  they  lead  rises  above 
the  heaven.  And  they  heard  a  voice  out  of  the  heaven  which 
said,  Hast  thou  proclaimed  to  those  who  were  asleep?  and  there 
came  from  the  cross  an  answer,  "Yes."  6.  The  minute  description 
in  Jno.  20 :  6,  7  is  intended  to  show  that  the  body  could  not  have 
been  stolen ;  for  then  would  the  grave-clothes  have  been  carried 
off  with  the  body.  7.  The  soldiers  did  not  report  that  Jesus  had 
risen,  but  only  that  the  tomb  had  been  suddenly  and  wondrously 
opened.  It  is  probable  that  the  priests  satisfied  themselves  of  the 
truth  of  the  soldiers'  report.  8.  It  mtist  be  noticed  that  Matthew 
does  not  imply  that  the  chief  priests  believed  in  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus  on  the  report  of  the  soldiers.  9.  It  has  been  objected  that 
Roman  soldiers  would  not  have  risked  their  lives  by  allowing  the 
story  to  go  abroad  that  they  slept  at  their  post.  But  there  was 
little  risk  with  the  Sanhedrin  on  their  side.  The  high  priests  had 
lately  given  evidence  that  they  knew  how  to  bend  Pilate's  will,  and 
moreover,  there  was  money  to  be  had.  10.  The  location  of  Eniniaus 
is  in  dispute.  Perhaps  the  most  probable  site  was  about  8  miles 
northwest  of  Jerusalem.  11.  Luke  probably  did  not  know  the  name 
of  the  second  disciple.  Peter,  Luke,  James  the  Less  have  been 
guessed  at.  But  Peter  and  James  were  in  Jerusalem  (Lu.  24:33) 
and  Luke  was  converted  many  years  later.  12.  Cleopas  has  been 
identified  with  Clopas,  the  husband  of  Mary  (Jno.  19:25).  13.  The 
breaking  of  the  bread  refers  to  a  peculiarity  which  they  had  often 
noticed,  and  not  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  for  these  two  had  not  been 
present  at  the  institution  of  the  sacrament.  14.  The  sudden  vanish- 
ing of  Jesus  and  his  sudden  appearance  indicate  that  the  Resurrec- 
tion body  of  Jesus  was  no  longer  subject  to  the  known  laws  of 
matter.  We  have  here  one  hint  as  to  the  nature  of  the  glorified 
resurrection  body.  It  was  the  identical  but  not  the  same  body.  (cf. 
Prof.  Fullerton  on  "Sameness  and  Identity.")  15.  Lu.  24:33  uses 
the  term  "eleven"  somewhat  loosely  as  the  name  of  a  body  of  men 
whether  every  member  is  present  or  not.  ("The  Com.  of  100;" 
"Philad.  Presbytery,"  etc.).  Only  ten  were  present  (Jno.  20:24). 
16.  Kcim  speaks  rashly  by  saying  that  Jno.  20 :  22  does  away  with 
Pentecost.  Here  they  received  the  earnest  of  the  gift  which  came 
in  fuller  measure  "not  long  after  these  days."  (Lu.  24:49.)  17. 
The  eating  in  Lu.  24 :  43  was  intended  to  emphasize  the  reality  of 
his  appearance ;  that  he  is  the  same  whom  they  had  known  before, 
not  a  mere  spirit;  certainly  not  a  delusion. 


274  Life  of  Christ. 

462.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  The  difference  between  Christ's 
resurrection  and  the  raising  of  Lazarus  and  others  was  this:  Jesus 
rose  to  die  no  more  (Rom.  6:9),  but  ascended  to  heaven,  while 
the  others  died  again.  2.  Christ  forbids  Mary  Magdalene  to  touch 
him,  for  she  was  determined  to  hold  him  back,  while  he  was  to 
ascend  first  and  then  return,  "for  it  is  expedient  that  I  go."  In 
the  case  of  Thomas  he  invited  his  touch  in  order  to  prove  to  him 
the  reality  of  his  appearance  and  his  identity.  3.  The  intellectual  dif- 
ficulty springing  from  the  shattering  of  an  erroneous  dogma  respect- 
ing the  true  nature  of  Christ's  Messiahship  did  not  wreck  their  faith 
in  him  as  one  sent  from  God.  To  the  person  of  Jesus  their  hearts 
still  cling,  Luke  24:  19-21.  4.  The  Jewish  rule  was  that  when  at 
least  three  were  eating  together  they  were  bound  to  give  thanks 
aloud.  One  of  their  ancient  table  praj'ers  is  as  follows :  "Blessed 
be  thou  O  Lord,  our  God,  King  of  the  universe,  who  bringest 
forth  fruit  out  of  the  earth."  5.  They  recognized  Jesus  by  the 
tone  of  his  voice,  or  some  well-known  gestures,  or  by  the  marks 
in  his  hands.  6.  It  is  the  very  doubt  of  the  apostles  that  make 
their  faith  afterwards  so  valuable  to  us.  They  were  not  too 
anxious,  they  were  only  too  unready  to  believe.  The  psychological 
conditions  for  believing  in  Christ's  resurrection  were  absent.  7. 
Christ  still  enters  through  the  closed  doors  of  his  followers  and 
bestows  his  peace. 

463.  Reference  Literature,  i.  Farrar,  Ch.  52;  Andrews,  p.  596; 
Stalker,  §§  199-205 ;  on  the  resurrection,  see  Davis ;  Hast.  D.  of  C. 
II ;  Barton,  Week  of  Passion,  pp.  205-214,  on  Easter,  Lent,  the 
fish  symbol;  famous  paintings  by  Hofman,  Mueller  and  Plockhorst 
of  the  various  subjects  of  the  resurrection;  the  famous  statue  by 
Thorwaldsen  in  a  church  at  Copenhagen  of  Christ  in  the  Act  of 
Blessing. 

464.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  What  was  the  purpose  of 
the  earthquake?  2.  Show  the  ridiculousness  of  the  report  of  the 
watch  (Matt.  26:13).  3.  What  new  titles  are  given  to  Jesus  in 
Lu.  24:3,  15.  4.  How  does  the  slowness  to  believe  in  the  resur- 
rection make  the  subsequent  testimony  of  the  apostles  all  the  more 
conclusive?  5.  What  are  some  of  the  teachings  of  Moses  and  the 
nrophets  to  which  Jesus  doubtless  referred  on  the  way  to  Emmaus? 

(1^  What  is  the  difference  between  doubt,  scepticism,  and  despair? 
7.  Was  Thomas  altogether  absent,  or  did  he  come  later  after 
Christ's  appearance? 


Life  of  Christ.  275 

CHAPTER  49. 

The  Last  Five  Appearances  of  Christ  and  His  Ascension. 

Jno.   20:26-21:25;   Alatt.   28:16-20;   Mk.    16:15-20;   Lu. 
24:44-53.     Harmony  147-151. 

465.  Sixth  Appearance:  to  the  Eleven,  (i)  After 
eight  days  again  his  disciples  were  within,  and  Thomas  with 
them.  Jesus  cometh.  the  doors  being  shut,  and  stood  in 
the  midst,  and  said,  Peace  be  unto  you.  Then  saith  he  to 
Thomas,  Reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  see  my  hands ;  and 
reach  hither  thy  hand,  and  put  it  into  my  side :  and  be  not 
faithless,  but  believing.  Thomas  said.  My  Lord  and  my 
God.  Jesus  saith,  Because  thou  hast  seen  me,  thou  hast 
believed :  blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have 
believed. 

466.  Seventh  Appearance:  to  Seven  Disciples,  (i) 
At  the  sea  of  Tiberias  there  were  together  Simon  Peter, 
Thomas  called  Didymus,  Nathaniel  of  Cana  in  Galilee,  the 
sons  of  Zebedee,  and  two  other  of  his  disciples.  Peter 
saith  I  go  a  fishing.  They  say.  We  also  come  with  thee. 
They  entered  into  the  boat ;  and  that  night  they  took  noth- 
ing. (2)  When  the  day  was  breaking,  Jesus  stood  on  the 
beach :  yet  the  disciples  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus.  Jesus 
saith,  Children,  have  ye  aught  to  eat  ?  They  answered  him, 
No.  And  he  said.  Cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the 
boat,  and  ye  shall  find.  They  did  so  and  were  not  able  to 
draw  it  for  the  multitude  of  fishes.  (3)  John  said  to  Peter, 
It  is  the  Lord.  When  Peter  heard  that  it  was  the  Lord,  he 
girt  his  coat  about  him,  and  cast  himself  into  the  sea.  But 
the  other  disciples  came  in  the  little  boat  (for  they  were  not 
far  from  the  land),  dragging  the  net  full  of  fishes.  So 
when  they  got  out  upon  the  land,  they  see  a  fire  of  coals 
there,  and  fish  laid  thereon,  and  bread.  Jesus  saith,  Bring 
of  the  fish  which  ye  have  now  taken.  Peter  drew  the  net 
to  land,  full  of  great  fishes,  a  hundred  and  fifty  and  three. 


276  Life  of  Christ. 

Jesus  saith,  Break  your  fast.  None  of  the  disciples  durst 
inquire  of  him,  Who  art  thou?  knowing  that  it  was  the 
Lord.  Jesus  taketh  the  bread,  and  giveth  them,  and  the 
fish  Hkewise. 

467.  Restoration  of  Peter.  ( i )  When  they  had  broken 
their  fast,  Jesus  saith  to  Peter,  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest 
thou  me  more  than  these?  He  saith,  Yea,  Lord;  thou 
knowest  that  I  love  thee.  He  saith,  Feed  my  lambs.  He 
saith  a  second  time,  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  me? 
He  saith,  Yea,  Lord ;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.  He 
saith,  Tend  my  sheep.  He  saith  the  third  time,  Simon,  son 
of  John,  lovest  thou  me?  Peter  was  grieved  because  he 
said  unto  him  the  third  time,  and  said,  Lord,  thou  knowest 
all  things ;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.  Jesus  saith.  Feed 
my  sheep.  (2)  When  thou  wast  young,  thou  girdest  thy- 
self, and  w^alkedst  whither  thou  wouldest:  but  when  thou 
shalt  be  old.  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  another 
shall  gird  thee,  and  carry  thee  whither  thou  wouldest  not. 
This  he  spake,  signifying  by  what  manner  of  death  he 
should  glorify  God.  Then  he  saith,  Follow  me.  (3)  Peter, 
turning  about,  seeth  John  following.  Peter  saith  to  Jesus, 
Lord,  what  shall  this  man  do?  Jesus  saith,  H  I  will  that 
he  tarry  till  1  come,  what  is  that  to  thee?  follow  thou  me. 
This  saying  went  forth  among  the  brethren,  that  that  dis- 
ciple should  not  die :  yet  Jesus  said  not  that  he  should  not 
die,  but,  If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to 
thee? 

468.  Eighth  Appearance :  to  the  Apostles  and  the  500 
Brethren.  ( i )  The  eleven  disciples  went  into  Galilee,  unto 
the  mountain  where  Jesus  had  appointed  them.  Probably 
on  this  occasion  came  together  more  than  500  brethren. 
(2)  When  they  saw  him,  they  worshipped  him;  but  some 
(of  the  500)  doubted  the  reality  of  the  appearance.  (3) 
Jesus  said,  All  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven 
and  on  earth.  Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all 
the  nations,  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the  Father  and 
of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit:  teaching  them  to  ob- 


Life  of  Christ.  277 

serve  all  things  whatsoever  I  coninianded  you :  and  lo,  I 
am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.  And 
these  signs  shall  accompany  them  that  believe:  in  my  name 
shall  they  cast  out  demons;  they  shall  speak  with  new 
tongues ;  they  shall  take  up  serpents,  and  if  they  drink  any 
deadly  thing,  it  shall  in  no  wise  hurt  them;  they  shall  lay 
hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  shall  recover. 

469.  Ninth  Appearance :  to  James,  the  Lord's  Brother, 
Only  the  fact  is  reported  by  Paul  (r  Cor.  15:7).  In  his 
list  of  appearances,  which  is  the  oldest  extant,  he  places  it 
after  the  appearance  to  the  "five  hundred  brethren." 

470.  The  Tenth  Appearance :  to  the  Eleven.  ( i )  For 
the  last  time  Jesus  appeared  to  the  eleven  apostles  some- 
where in  Jerusalem,  on  Thursday,  May  18,  A.  D.  30,  forty 
days  after  Easter.  (2)  He  said  to  them:  These  are  my 
Avords  which  I  spake  unto  you,  while  I  was  yet  with  you, 
that  all  things  must  needs  be  fulfilled,  which  are  written  in 
the  law  of  Moses,  and  the  prophets,  and  the  psalms,  con- 
cerning me.  (3)  Then  opened  he  their  mind,  that  they 
might  understand  the  scriptures ;  and  said,  Thus  it  is  writ- 
ten, that  the  Christ  should  sufl:'er,  and  rise  again  from  the 
dead  the  third  day;  and  that  repentance  and  remission  of 
sins  should  be  preached  in  his  name  unto  all  the  nations, 
beginning  from  Jerusalem. 

471.  To  Wait  for  the  Pov/er  from  on  High,  (i)  At 
this  last  meeeting,  the  disciples  asked,  Lord  dost  thou  at 
this  time  restore  the  kingdom  to  Israel  ?  He  said,  It  is 
not  for  you  to  know  times  or  seasons,  which  the  Father 
hath  set  within  his  own  authority.  But  ye  shall  receive 
power,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon  you :  and  ye 
shall  be  my  witnesses  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judrea 
and  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth. 
(2)  But  tarry  ye  in  the  city  until  ye  be  clothed  with  the 
power  from  on  high. 

472.  The  Ascension.  (i)  When  he  had  said  these 
things,  he  led  the  apostles  out  of  Jerusalem  until  they  were 
over  against  Bethany ;  and  he  lifted  up  his  hands  and  blessed 


278  Life  of  Christ. 

them.  While  he  blessed  them,  and  as  they  were  looking  he 
was  taken  up;  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight 
and  they  worshipped  him.  (2)  And  while  they  were  looking 
stedfastly  into  heaven  as  he  went,  behold  two  men  stood 
by  them  in  white  apparel;  who  also  said,  Ye  men  of 
Galilee,  why  stand  ye  looking  into  heaven?  this  Jesus,  who 
was  received  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like 
manner  as  ye  beheld  him  going  into  heaven.  (3)  Then  re- 
turned they  with  great  joy  unto  Jerusalem  from  the  mount 
called  Olivet,  which  is  nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  a  sabbath  day's 
journey  off.  And  when  they  were  come  in,  they  went  up 
into  the  upper  chamber,  where  they  were  abiding;  and  the 
eleven  disciples  with  one  accord  continued  stedfastly  in 
prayer,  with  the  women,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus, 
and  with  his  brethren. 

473.  The  Conclusion,  (i)  Many  other  signs  did  Jesus 
in  the  presence  of  the  disciples,  which  are  not  written  in 
this  book :  but  these  are  written,  that  ye  may  believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God ;  and  that  believing  ye 
may  have  life  in  his  name.  (2)  If  all  the  other  things  which 
Jesus  did  should  be  written  every  one,  I  suppose  that  even 
the  world  itself  would  not  contain  the  books  that  should  be 
written. 

474.  Explanatory  Notes,  i.  Name  and  compare  sources;  locate 
places;  memorize  Matt.  28:18-20.  2.  There  is  no  record  that 
Christ  appeared  during  the  week  after  his  resurrection.  The 
phraseology  of  Jno.  20 :  26  seems  to  preclude  it.  This,  as  well  as 
the  fact  that  the  Holy  Spirit  descended  on  a  "first  day"  together 
with  the  fundamental  importance  of  Christ's  resurrection,  and  pos- 
sibly also  unrecorded  considerations  led  the  disciples  very  early  to 
believe  that  a  transfer  of  the  weekly  rest-day  from  the  last  to  the 
first  day  of  the  week  would  be  according  to  the  mind  of  Christ 
3.  At  any  rate,  whatever  may  have  been  the  reason,  the  fact  of  its 
early  observance  is  clear  from  Acts  20:7;  i  Cor.  16:2;  Rev.  i:  10, 
and  from  early  extra-biblical  testimony,  such  as  the  famous  letter 
of  Pliny  and  the  writings  of  the  apostolic  fathers.  4.  The  two  N. 
T.  names  for  the  weekly  Easter  day  are  (a)  "The  Lord's  Day" 
(Rev.  1 :  10)  because  it  commemorated  the  fact  that  the  Father 
through  the  resurrection  declared  Christ  to  be  "Lord";    (b)   "The 


Life  of  Christ.  279 

First  Day  of  the  Week"  (i  Cor.  16:  2;  Acts  20:  7).  5.  Jesus  always 
refused  to  manufacture  evidence  to  convince  those  who  did  not 
wish  to  believe.  But  he  is  most  considerate  of  the  weakness  and 
doubt,  even  the  blameworthy  doubt  of  those  who  are  willing  to 
believe.  There  are  honest  and  dishonest  doubters  and  we  must  al- 
ways make  a  distinction  between  doubt  and  skepticism.  6.  Jno. 
20 :  29  means :  He  who  will  learn  by  experience  does  well,  but  he 
does  better  who  is  willing  also  to  accept  the  testimony  of  good, 
reliable  witnesses.  7.  The  seventh  appearance  is  the  first  recorded 
as  occurring  in  Galilee  at  a  time  not  definitely  stated  ("after  these 
things").  No  doubt  soon  after  the  passover  which  in  that  year 
ended  on  Thursday,  April  13,  Nisan  21,  the  disciples  left  for  their 
homes  in  Galilee.  8.  Jno.  21 :  14  "the  third  time"  may  mean  the 
third  time  to  the  circle  of  disciples  or  the  third  of  which  John  was 
a  witness,  or  the  third  recorded  in  the  gospel  before  the  company 
of  the  apostles.  9.  Jno.  21:  1-24  constitutes  an  appendix  to  the 
gospel  of  John  which  had  already  been  brought  to  a  conclusion  in 
chapter  20:30,  31.  It  seems  to  be  from  the  same  hand  as  the  rest 
of  the  gospel,  but  has  been  added  after  the  gospel  was  regarded 
as  complete.  The  motive  of  its  addition  is  probably  to  be  found 
in  Jno.  21 :  23.  John's  survival  to  extreme  old  age  had  given  rise 
to  the  mistaken  interpretation  of  Jesus'  words  to  him  that  he 
should  leave  the  world  without  tasting  death  or  that  he  should 
live  until  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  Hence  John  deemed  it  ad- 
visable to  point  out  exactly  what  Jesus  had  said  and  what  he 
really  meant.  10.  In  the  first  and  second  question,  Lovest  thou  me, 
Christ  uses  the  Greek  word  "agapao,"  which  means  "respectful  re- 
gard." Peter  answers  both  times  with  the  stronger  word,  philo, — 
expressing  warm  affection.  The  third  time  Jesus  uses  Peter's 
word.  (Trench,  Synonyms,  I,  48;  Maclear,  N.  T.  Hist.  p.  334. 
II.  According  to  Origen  (Euseb.  Ill,  i)  Peter  was  crucified  in  the 
Neronian  persecution,  67  A.  D.,  in  Rome,  with  his  head  downward, 
and  was  buried  on  the  spot  where  St.  Peter's  Church  now  stands. 
For  the  legend  found  in  St.  Ambrose  touching  his  death,  see 
article  "Peter"  in  Smith's  B.  D.  and  "Quo  Vadis."  12.  The  mount 
in  Galilee  on  which  the  eighth  appearance  occurred  cannot  be  iden- 
tified. It  may  have  been  the  mount  of  the  Beatitudes.  13.  This 
appearance  is  probably  identical  with  the  one  to  more  than  500 
believers  reported  in  i  Cor.  15 : 6.  For  the  statement  Matt.  28 :  17 
that  some  doubted,  implies  the  presence  of  others  besides  the  eleven, 
because  any  hesitation  on  the  part  of  the  apostles  as  to  Christ's 
resurrection  had  by  this  time  been  completely  removed  by 
repeated  interviews.  Moreover,  only  in  Galilee  could  so  large  a 
number  of  disciples  be  found.     On  this  supposition  the  eighth  ap- 


28o  Life  of  Christ. 

licarancc  is  the  most  impr^rtant.  (a)  Because,  while  the  seven 
preceding  appearances  were  to  individuals,  this  one  was  to  the  en- 
tire then  existing  church,  (b)  Because  the  great  commission  was 
then  addressed  not  to  the  eleven  alone  but  to  them  and  the  entire 
membership  of  the  church.  14.  From  a  very  early  date  it  became 
customary  to  employ  the  words  in  Matt.  28 :  19  "Father,  Son  and 
Holy  Ghost,"  as  a  solemn  formula  accompanying  baptism.  See,  for 
instance,  in  the  "Didachc"  (Teaching  of  the  Twelve)  which  is  a 
church  manual  written  not  far  from  100  A.  D.  But  the  apostles 
either  used  also  a  shorter  formula,  "in  the  name  of  Christ"  (Acts 
2:38;  8:16;  19:5;  Rom.  6:3),  or  these  passages  do  not  intend 
to  quote  the  exact  words  of  the  baptismal  formula,  but  only  mean 
to  express  the  relationship  into  which  the  baptized  person  entered. 

475.  I.  If  the  words  in  Luke  24:51  "And  was  carried  up  into 
heaven"  are  to  be  omitted,  as  some  ancient  manuscripts  do,  then 
Luke  simply  says  that  Jesus  was  separated  from  his  disciples — van- 
ished from  them.  In  this  case  we  have  no  report  of  the  ascension  in 
the  four  gospels  as  originally  written  since  the  paragraph  Mark  16: 
9-20  is  almost  universally  admitted  to  be  a  later  addition.  Our 
only  historical  source  would  then  be  Acts  1:6-11.  This  however 
would  in  no  way  weaken  the  evidence  in  favor  of  Christ's  ascen- 
sion for:  (a)  Even  if  this  event  had  not  been  recorded,  it  might 
easily  have  been  inferred  as  a  normal  conclusion  to  Christ's  earthly 
ministry,  (b)  The  appendix  in  Mark  rests  undoubtedly  on  an 
ancient  trustworthy  tradition;  (c)  The  phrase  in  Luke  24:  51  "And 
was  carried  up  into  heaven"  is  omitted  only  by  some  authorities 
and,  if  not  in  the  originals,  certainly  rests  also  on  an  ancient  tradi- 
tion; (d)  In  Jno.  20:  17  we  have  in  plain  words  of  Jesus  himself 
a  distinct  reference  to  his  ascension ;  (e)  The  ascension  is  directly 
affirmed  in  Rom.  8:34;  Col.  3:1;  Rev.  3:21;  22:1.  2.  The  pur- 
pose of  the  ten  appearances  which  were  all  to  his  friends  and 
none  of  which  were  to  his  enemies  (Acts  10:41),  was  to  prove  the 
reality  of  his  bodily  resurrection,  to  show  himself  alive,  a  fact 
which  neither  friend  nor  foe  would  have  believed  if  he'  had  never 
appeared  in  his  identical  body  to  any  one.  3.  But  the  great  evi- 
dence for  the  resurrection  is  the  existence  of  the  church.  Historic 
Christianity  itself  is  an  effect  which  demands  a  cause,  and  to  no 
cause  can  it  be  so  rationally  referred  as  that  which  the  early 
church  accepted  as  an  unquestionable  fact  that  Christ  who  lived 
in  Galilee  and  died  on  Calvary  still  lives.  4.  for  a  fuller  discus- 
sion of  the  resurrection  see  the  chapter  on  the  "Problems  of  the 
Life  of  Christ." 

476.  Practical  Lessons,  i.  The  doubt  of  Thomas  had  its  seat 
in  the  mind,  not  in  the  heart.    Many  great  men  have  followed  him 


Life  of  Christ.  281 

in  this.  But  Jesus  said,  it  is  better  to  trust  to  reliable  testimony 
than  fight  one's  way  to  true  faith  in  Christ  through  all  the  laby- 
rinths of  negative  criticism.  2.  The  great  commission,  (a)  comes 
from  an  Almighty  King;  (b)  requires  an  aggressive  ministry;  (c) 
defines  Christianity  as  a  universal  religion  adapted  to  all  nations; 
(d)  describes  the  duty  of  the  church  to  disciple  all  nations;  (e) 
appoints  baptism  as  the  initiation;  (f)  promises  the  perpetual  pres- 
ence of  its  Lord.  3.  At  Christ's  final  ap/>earauce  (Luke  24:44-49) 
he  defines  the  preacher's  subject,  field,  mission  and  power.  4.  Evan- 
gelistic appeals,  which  do  not  contain  or  are  not  followed  by  sober 
instruction  must  vanish  in  the  smoke  of  shapeless  emotions.  5.  The 
ministry  is  not  an  order  of  sacrificing  and  mediating  priests,  but 
men  called  by  Christ  and  set  apart  by  lawful  authority  to  preach 
Christ's  gospel,  and  to  be  teachers  and  leaders  of  Christ's  people 
in  an  good  works.  6.  Preachers  should  not  take  off  the  point  of 
their  preaching  as  the  man  did  who  is  reported  to  have  uttered 
these  words  in  one  of  his  sermons :  "Brethren,  you  must  repent 
as  it  were,  and  be  converted,  in  a  measure,  or  else  you  may  be 
damned  to  some  extent."  7.  The  ninth  appearance,  not  recorded  in 
the  gospels,  but  by  Paul  (i  Cor.  15:7),  was  that  to  James,  the 
Lord's  brother,  and  the  author  of  the  epistle,  by  which  he  was  evi- 
dently led  to  believe  in  the  Lord.  For  while  Jno.  7 :  5  states  that  he 
and  his  brother  did  not  believe  on  Jesus,  in  Acts  i :  14  we  find 
them  all  as  believers.  The  Apocryphal  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews 
tells  the  legend  that  James  had  made  a  vow  not  to  eat  or  drink 
till  he  had  seen  Jesus.  Soon  Jesus  appeared  to  him  and  said :  "My 
brother,  eat  thy  bread,  for  the  Son  of  man  is  risen  from  the  dead." 

477.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Ch.  52 ;  Andrews,  p.  623 ; 
Stalker,  §  199 ;  Davis,  D.  B.  on  baptism ;  resurrection ;  on  the  ac- 
tivity of  the  Exalted  One,  see  Drummond's  Apost.  Teaching  and 
Christ's  Teaching,  p.  305;  Hast.  D.  B.,  H,  640,  on  the  resurrection; 
W.  J.  Bryan's  missionary  address,  "The  Fruit  of  the  Tree"  (Com- 
moner, Aug.  19,  1910)  ;  Paintings  by  Schoenherr,  Dore  and  Hofman. 

478.  Questions  for  Discussion,  i.  What  was  the  mode  of  life 
of  the  risen  Christ  during  the  forty  days?  2.  What  is  the  dif- 
ference between  doubt,  scepticism  and  despair?  3)  What  trait  of 
Peter's  weakness  is  recalled  by  the  form  of  the  Lord's  first  ques- 
tion? (a.JD\A  the  Apostolic  church  transfer  the  day  of  rest  from 
the  last  to  the  first  day  of  the  week?  5.  By  what  authority?  6. 
What  did  the  outstretched  hands  at  Christ's  ascension  symbolize 
regarding  his  future  relation  to  his  followers? 

479.     Review  Questions. 
I.   Name  the    first    four   chief   divisions   of   the  Life  of    Christ; 
also    the    subdivisions    of    each,    and    give    the    dates    of    the    four 


282  Life  of  Christ. 

chief,  and  of  their  subdivisions.  2.  Enumerate  the  events  of 
each  subdivision  in  the  order  of  time.  3.  Of  the  Week  of  Pas- 
sion, (a)  exphiin  the  name;  (b)  state  the  events  and  dates  of 
its  beginning  and  end;  (c)  trace  the  movements  of  Jesus  on  the 
map  from  place  to  place;  (d)  enumerate  the  events  of  each 
day;  (e)  the  source  of  information  by  gospels  and  chapters,  and 
what  amount  of  the  gospel  narrative  refers  to  this  week.  4.  Give 
a  very  accurate  outline  of  the  six  parts  of  the  Lord's  trial,  inserting 
Peter's  denials  and  Judas'  suicide  in  their  right  places.  5.  State 
the  ten  appearances  of  the  risen  Christ  in  exact  chronological  order. 
6.  Give  a  detailed  account  of  the  day  of  the  Resurrection.  7.  What 
do  you  know  of  Caiaphas,  Annas,  Pilate,  Herod  Antipas? 


PART  III. 

General  Aspects  of  the  Life  of  Christ. 

480.  The  foregoing  analytical  study  of  our  Lord's  life 
has  sufficiently  acquainted  us  with  his  character  and  work. 
But  in  order  to  gain  a  still  deeper  impression  of  his  holy 
personality  we  will  in  these  closing  chapters  construct  from 
the  fragmentary  statements  scattered  over  his  entire  life  a 
more  compact,  connected  and  synthetic  portrait  of  some 
of  the  general  aspects  of  his  career,  such  as  (i)  his  char- 
acter; (2)  his  mission  and  work;  (3)  the  chief  problems  of 
his  life;  (4)  his  influence  on  the  world;  closing  (5)  with  a 
refutation  of  the  chief  non-biblical  views  of  the  Life  of 
Christ. 

CHAPTER  50. 
The  Character  of  Jesus. 

481.  Character  is  the  sum  total  of  the  qualities  by  which 
a  person  is  distinguished  from  others.  It  is  the  result  of 
three  determinants:  i.  A  man's  individuality,  that  is,  his 
original  constitution,  and  inherited  tendencies ;  2.  His  01- 
vironment,  that  is,  the  external  circumstances  which  influ- 
ence life ;  3.  His  free  will,  that  is,  his  own  modification  of 
the  possible  effects  on  himself  of  Nos.  i  and  2.  Character 
expresses  itself  in  a  man's  body,  the  instrument  of  action ; 
his  mind,  the  light  or  guide  to  action ;  his  emotions,  the 
heat,  or  spur  of  action ;  his  will,  the  control  of  action.  In 
analyzing  our  Lord's  character  we  will  make  use  of  these 
four  time-honored  psychological  categories. 

283 


j84  I.jfc  of  Christ. 

I.     The  Lord's  Physical  Characteristics. 

482.  Information  from  the  Scriptures,  (i)  Nothing 
definite  is  recorded  in  the  New  Testament  as  to  Christ's 
outward  ajjpearanoc.  (2)  But  inferences  have  been  drawn 
from  various  passages.  For  example,  from  Isa.  53 :  2,  that 
he  lacked  beauty  (so  Justin  Martyr,  Clement  of  Alexandria 
and  Tertullian )  :  from  Psalm  45 :  2,  that  he  was  "fairer 
than  the  children  of  men"  (so  Jerome,  Augustine,  Ambrose, 
Chrysostom )  ;  from  John  8 :  57,  that  he  looked  older  than  he 
was;  from  John  18:6,  that  there  was  an  overawing  dignity 
in  his  appearance;  from  John  19:23,  that  he  was  well 
dressed  ;  from  sexeral  passages  that  he  had  a  strong  voice. 
It  is  certain  that  Christ  had  not  a  repulsive  face.  For  if  the 
face  of  man,  as  a  rule,  reflects  his  soul,  the  features  of  Jesus 
must  have,  in  a  high  degree,  expressed  the  majesty  and 
greatness  of  his  spirit. 

483.  Descriptions  of  Jesus,  (i)  The  earliest  extant 
actual  description  of  Jesus  is  very  late.  It  dates  from  John 
of  Damascus  in  the  eighth  century,  and  may  rest  on  some 
faint  but  true  tradition,  handed  down  from  the  Apostle 
John  through  Polycarp,  Papias  and  Iren?eus.  He  says  that 
Jesus  resembled  his  mother,  had  a  very  beautiful  face,  curl- 
ing locks,  an  olive  complexion  and  a  look  expressive  of 
liobility  and  wisdom.  (2)  In  a  spurious  letter,  manufac- 
tured in  the  twelfth  century,  and  addressed  "to  the  Roman 
Senate,"  a  fictitious  "Lentulus,  president  of  the  people  of 
Jerusalem,"  gives  the  following  description  of  Jesus :  "A 
man  of  tall  stature,  beautiful,  with  venerable  countenance, 
which  they  who  look  on  it  can  both  love  and  fear.  His 
hair  is  waving,  somewhat  wine-colored ;  his  brow  is  smooth 
and  most  serene ;  his  face  is  without  any  spot  or  wrinkle. 
and  glows  with  a  delicate  flush ;  his  nose  and  mouth  are 
faultless;  the  beard  is  abundant  and  his  eyes  prominent 
and  brilliant ;  in  speech  he  is  grave,  reserved  and  modest." 

484.  Pictures  of  Jesus.  ( i )  Legendary  Portraits.  Ac- 
cording to  unrelialile  legends,  Jesus  sent  by  the  hand  of  the 


Life  of  Christ.  285 

Apostle  Thaddaeus  his  portrait  to  Ahgarus,  king  of  Edessa, 
who  had  sent  the  Greeks  to  him  with  an  invitation  to  teach 
his  people  (John  12:20),  and  on  his  way  to  Golgotha  he 
is  said  to  have  impressed  his  true  picture  on  the  napkin  of 
Veronica,  who  handed  it  to  him  to  wipe  away  his  sweat  and 
blood.  2.  Real  Pictures.  From  the  above  follows  that  all 
portraits  of  Christ  are  the  work  of  imagination.  The 
earliest  of  them  are  in  the  catacombs  of  Rome,  and  show  us 
how  he  appealed  to  the  artistic  minds  of  the  primitive 
Church.  They  knew  him  as  Friend,  Helper,  and  Comforter, 
and  painted  him  turning  the  water  into  wine  (a  favourite 
subject  in  the  catacombs),  talking  tenderly  to  the  Samaritan 
woman,  raising  his  friend  Lazarus,  or  carrying  a  lamb  in 
his  bosom.  Later,  when  persecution  pressed  harder  still, 
and  it  was  death  to  show  the  Nazarene  in  any  shape  or 
form,  they  took  to  symbolic  painting,  Greek  and  Roman 
youths,  anagrams,  eagles,  the  fish,  the  lamb.  The  Roman 
Emperor  Alexander  Severns  (222)  is  said  to  have  placed  in 
his  temple  the  image  of  Jesus,  but  no  one  knows  how  it 
looked.  Eusebius  (325)  saw  at  Cacsarca  Philip  pi  a  bronze 
statue  of  Christ,  with  the  inscription  "To  the  Saviour,  the 
Benefactor,"  which  Julian  the  Apostate  (361)  destroyed. 
But  Gibbon,  in  his  "Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire" believes  that  it  was  the  statue  of  an  emperor,  and  that 
the  inscription  misled  the  people.  In  the  middle  ages,  when 
altars  came  with  the  crucifix,  the  demand  arose,  "Paint  u<=; 
the  Son  of  God  dying  on  the  tree."  The  thing  was  impos- 
sible, and,  in  the  attempt  the  painter's  art  Ijecame  degraded, 
and  religion  too.  Hence  we  have  "Crucifi.xions"  and  other 
paintings  of  Christ,  a  few  beautiful,  but  for  the  most  part 
gross  in  thought  and  treatment — Christ  emaciated,  worn, 
weary,  an  appalling  figure,  the  dark  phantom  of  a  thousand 
years.  With  the  Renascence  came  expression,  and  power 
to  paint  the  whole  story  of  the  Son  of  Man  as  he  appealed 
to  the  greatest  artists  of  time.  This  was  the  time  of  the 
Masters,  including  the  great  quintet,  Leonardo  da  Vinci, 
I\[ichael  Angelo,  Titian,  Raphael,  and  Correggio.     In  the 


286  Life  of  Christ. 

Reformation  period  and  later  we  have  Cranach,  the  friend 
of  Luther,  Duerer,  Van  Dyck.  Modern  masters  are  Ruben, 
Von  Uhdc,  Tlofman,  Dore. 

485.  Criticism  of  the  Conventional  Type  of  the  Christ 
Portraits,  (i)  Archaeologists  object  to  the  conventional 
I)ictures  of  Christ  because  they  are  not  true  to  history.  A 
German  painter,  L.  Fahrenkrog,  says :  "Christ  certainly 
never  wore  a  beard  and  his  hair  was  beyond  a  doubt  closely 
cut.  For  this  we  have  historical  proofs.  The  oldest  repre- 
sentations, going  back  to  the  first  Christian  centuries,  and 
found  chiefly  in  the  catacombs  of  Rome,  all  picture  him 
without  a  beard.  All  the  Christ  pictures  down  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  fourth  century  at  least,  and  even  later,  are 
of  this  kind.  The  further  fact  that  Christ  must  in  his  day 
have  worn  short  hair  can  be  proved  from  the  Scriptures. 
Among  the  Jews  none  but  the  Nazirites  wore  long  hair. 
Christ  was  indeed  a  Nazarene.  but  not  a  Nazirite,  the  facts 
of  his  life  supporting  this  view.  If  he  was  not  a  Nazirite, 
then  like  the  rest  of  the  Jews  he  wore  his  hair  short.  Fur- 
ther evidence  is  furnished  by  Paul  in  i  Cor.  11 :  14,  where 
it  is  expressly  declared  that  it  is  a  dishonor  for  a  man  to 
wear  his  hair  long,  something  that  the  apostle  would  not 
have  said  had  his  Master  worn  it  thus."  Even  from 
Leonardo  da  Vinci  and  Michael  Angelo  we  have  pictures 
of  Christ  in  the  Final  Judgment  according  to  this  older  type. 
(2)  Modern  exegetes  object  to  the  conventional  face  of 
Jesus,  as  untrue  to  the  New  Testament  outlines  of  Christ's 
personality,  because  (a)  it  is  not  a  very  intellectual  face 
except  in  Hofman's  pictures;  (b)  it  is  not  a  happy,  but  a 
very  sad  face;  (c)  it  is  not  a  strong  face,  such  as  a  man  of 
our  Lord's  force  and  determination  nuist  have  had. 

486.  Modern  Conceptions  of  a  Portrait  of  Christ,  (i) 
Taking  into  account  our  Lord's  nationality  and  age,  the 
customs  of  the  times  and  the  fact  that  the  incarnation  was 
the  taking  on  of  perfect  humanity,  we  will  not  be  very 
far  out  of  the  way  when  we  picture  Jesus  as  of  medium 
height,  olive  complexion,  closely  cut  hair,  no  beard,  bright 


Life  of  Christ.  287 

eyes,  Jewish  facial  lines,  gracious  expression,  of  perfect 
health,  of  dignified  appearance.  His  apparel  consisted  of  a 
tunic  (a  closely  fitting  shirt),  a  mantle  (a  square  of  cloth 
draped  over  the  shoulders  and  kept  in  place  by  a  girdle),  a 
turban,  for  protection  against  heat  and  cold,  and  sandals 
of  wood,  leather  or  felt,  protecting  merely  the  soles  of  the 
feet.  (2)  Fricdrich  von  Uhde's  very  remarkable  pictures 
of  scenes  in  the  life  of  Christ,  in  which  he  portrays  the 
Lord  amid  perfectly  modern  surroundings,  have  aroused 
warm  discussions  in  church  circles  for  years.  He  believes 
that  not  historical  but  ideal  reasons  should  decide  how  Jesus 
should  be  painted.  On  the  whole  he  adheres  to  the  tradi- 
tional type.  (3)  Recently  Prof.  Burnant,  at  the  request 
of  the  church  authorities  of  Germany,  laid  down  seven 
principles  according  to  which  Christ-pictures  should  be 
drawn.  He  says,  Christ  must  be  pictured  as  a  superior 
and  superhuman  being ;  he  must  at  the  same  time  appear 
as  a  true  man ;  his  human  characteristics  must  be  perfectly 
free  from  all  evidences  of  sin  or  its  results ;  the  leading 
characteristics  of  love,  poverty,  and  patience  must  be  in 
evidence ;  the  perfect  union  between  the  spiritually  perfect 
holiness  and  the  special  human  conditions  of  his  life  must 
appear;  a  proper  moderation  in  portraying  these  seemingly 
contradictory  characteristics  must  be  observed ;  and,  finally, 
the  beauty  of  Jesus  must  be  found  chiefly  in  his  expression. 

II.     The  Lord's  Intellectual  Powers. 

487.  Four  Mental  Qualities.  Our  Lord's  education 
was  limited  (see  Chapter  14).  Very  conspicuous,  however, 
in  his  mental  life  are  the  four  qualities  of  penetration, 
keenness,  breadth,  and  originality,  (i)  By  penetration  is 
meant  his  full  and  accurate  knowledge  of  men.  He  knew 
by  a  glance  what  was  in  man.  He  called  Peter  a  rock, 
Nathanacl  an  Israelite  without  guile,  Herod  Antipas  a  fox, 
the  Pharisees  hypocrites  and  the  Samaritan  woman,  by 
implication,  an  outcast.     His  knowledge  of  character  is  il- 


288  Life  of  Christ. 

lustrated  by  the  treatment  accorded  by  him  to  each  of  the 
three  would-be  disciples  (Luke  9:57-62).  Neither  did 
his  insight  fail  him  when  he  called  Judas,  for  that  disciple's 
moral  descent  was  gradual.  (2)  The  keenness  of  Christ's 
mind  is  amply  illustrated  by  his  frequent  encounters  with 
the  wise  men  of  liis  nation  in  debate.  He  worsted  them  on 
their  own  proper  field  (cf.  Mark  12:28-34;  Math.  22:41- 
46).  Read  also  in  John  7  and  10  the  rapid  fire  criticism 
and  Christ's  quick  and  telling  replies.  The  people  mar- 
velled, saying:  "How  hath  this  man  learning,  though  he 
hath  not  studied?"'  Jesus'  answer  is  his  claim  of  divine 
revelation  (John  5:  20).  (3)  By  the  breadth  of  Christ's  in- 
tellect we  mean  his  far-seeing,  liljeral  tendency.  All  other 
great  men  represent  sectional,  not  universal  humanity. 
Socrates,  e.  g.,  was  never  anything  else  than  a  great  Greek ; 
Luther,  a  German ;  Calvin,  a  Frenchman ;  Washington,  an 
American.  But  Christ  was  free  from  limitations.  He  was 
a  patriot,  but  no  nativist  (John  4)  ;  he  selected  his  disciples 
from  all  classes,  and  of  various  temperaments,  and  sent 
them  to  all  nations.  He  embraces  jniblicans  and  other  out- 
casts. Over  against  narrow  ultra-conservatism,  he  was  lib- 
eral in  his  views  on  religious,  moral  and  ceremonial  ques- 
tions, such  as  the  traditions  of  the  elders  and  unscriptural 
views  of  the  Sabbath.  This  brought  him  into  constant 
conflict  with  his  countrymen  and  eventually  to  the  cross. 

488.  Christ  was  Original,  ( i )  In  his  person :  he  was 
not  a  copy  of  great  predecessors  (Abraham,  Moses)  ;  nor 
of  famous  contemporaries  (Hillel)  ;  nor  a  mere  embodiment 
of  the  "Zeitgeist"  (the  Age-Spirit)  i.  e.  the  mere  result  of 
race,  heredity,  training  and  environment.  (2)  In  his  life- 
plan.  A  man  who  had  never  seen  a  map  of  the  world  pro- 
poses to  establish  a  universal  kingdom  of  God.  Dr.  Rein- 
hard  has  shown  with  great  erudition  that  such  a  plan  had 
never  entered  into  the  calculations  of  the  greatest  kings, 
statesmen  and  ])hilosophers.  Hence  this  idea  was  not  bor- 
rowed liy  him  from  predecessors.  (See  testimony  of  Na- 
poleon  I.)     To-day  we  can  easily  see  that  his  was  not  an 


Life  of  Christ.  289 

unsubstantial  dream.  (3)  In  his  teaching;  (a)  as  to  its 
matter,  the  distinctive  thoughts  being  new,  and  not  derived 
from  the  Essenes,  Judaism,  the  Persians  or  the  Buddhists, 
but  brought  from  heaven.  His  teaching  grew  out  of  the 
Old  Testament,  and  while  it  contained  not  many  new  words 
or  startling  phrases,  yet  the  impression  upon  the  people 
was,  "A  New  Teaching!  We  have  never  seen  it  after  this 
fashion !"  Stalker  says :  "The  more  we  study  the  litera- 
ture of  his  times  the  more  is  the  originality  of  Jesus  en- 
hanced, for  nothing  else  in  the  whole  range  of  human  rec- 
ords is  more  utterly  wearisome  and  worthless.  (See  Car- 
lisle on  "Originals"  in  Stalker's  Christolog>%  p.  67.)  (b) 
As  to  his  leading  conceptions  expressed  by  the  terms  Gos- 
pel, kingdom  of  God.  Son  of  man,  eternal  life,  ransom,  the 
cross  which  were  entirely  new.  (c)  As  to  his  claim  that  he 
is  not  only  the  preacher,  but  the  object  of  the  faith  which 
he  proclaimed ;  that  the  faith,  love  and  worship  of  be- 
lievers should  be  concentrated  upon  him  because  he  is  God 
manifested  in  the  flesh ;  tiiat  he  is  the  giver  of  eternal  life 
and  the  pardoner  of  sin, — all  this  was  certainly  original  and 
startling.  None  of  the  great  teachers  ever  made  such  a 
claim  and  made  good,  (dj  As  to  his  eclecticism.  He  al- 
tered the  proportion  of  truth  as  taught  in  the  O.  T.,  and 
changed  the  point  of  emphasis,  exalting  or  expanding  what 
had  been  previously  in  the  background  (as  the  fatherhood 
and  the  imminence  of  God )  and  taking  for  granted  doc- 
trines like  the  unity  and  holiness  of  God;  (e)  as  to  new 
interpretations  of  well-known  truths,  as  the  spiritual  inter- 
pretation of  the  law  and  Isaiah  61  :  i,  at  Nazareth.  "lie 
rarely  quotes  a  text  without  revealing  in  it  some  hidden 
meaning  which  no  one  had  suspected  before,  but  which 
shines  clearly  to  all  eyes  as  soon  as  it  has  been  pointed  out." 
(Stalker,  Imago  Christi,  p.  162)  ;  (i)  as  to  its  new  claim  of 
authority,  and  of  a  unique  knowledge  of  God.  He  sets 
his  authority  against  that  of  Moses,  saying  repeatedly,  "but 
I  say  unto  you."  The  people  noticed  this  and  exclaimed 
after  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount:  "With  authoritv  he  teaches 


290  Life  of  Christ. 

and  not  like  the  scribe,"  "no  man  ever  spoke  like  this  man." 
(g)  As  to  his  method,  which  was  picturesque,  clear  and  de- 
cisive. He  possessed  the  two  prime  requisites  of  a  great 
orator;  information  and  sincerity;  (h)  as  to  the  vitalizing 
power  of  his  w^ords  giving  operative  force  to  ideas  which 
had  already  floated  before  the  minds  of  men  in  a  dormant 
state.  (See  Watson,  Mind  of  the  Master,  p.  38.)  ;  (i)  as  to 
its  outward  results;  no  man's  teaching  before  or  after  him 
was  accepted  so  generally ;  (j)  as  to  its  potency :  he  breathed 
into  mankind  a  life  and  worked  out  a  code  of  ethics  that 
will  bring  about  the  real  millenium  in  the  proportion  as 
it  is  put  into  practice. 

III.     The  Emotional  Life  of  Jesus. 

489.  The  Love  of  Christ  to  God.  The  deepest  feeling 
in  Christ's  soul  was  Love — (i)  to  the  Father,  (2)  to  all 
men,  (3)  for  nature.  Jesus'  love  to  the  Father  expressed 
itself  in  his  complete  trust,  his  constant  communion,  his 
reverence,  his  submission,  (a)  "He  trusted  God,"  said  even 
his  enemies  (Matt.  27:43).  His  first  and  last  words  were 
expressions  of  faith.  In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  when 
he  spoke  of  the  lilies  and  the  birds,  and  also  in  Gethsemane, 
he  emphasized  his  confidence  in  the  Father,  (b)  Christ's 
uninterrupted  communion  with  the  Father  is  expressed  in 
his  habit  of  prayer.  (Luke  3:21,  22 ;  Mark  i  :  35 ;  Luke  5  : 
16;  6:12;  Matt.  14:23;  Lk.  9:18-28;  Matt.  26:36;  Lk. 
23:46.)  We  all  know  his  longest,  his  most  submissive  and 
his  last  prayer.  He  prayed  in  public,  in  solitary  places 
(mountains  and  in  Gethsemane),  for  long  periods  (tempta- 
tion), before  important  events  (the  choosing  of  the 
Twelve),  and  on  the  cross,  three  of  his  seven  last  words 
being  prayers.  He  exhorted  others  to  pray  and  taught  his 
disciples  a  form  of  prayer,  (c)  An  atmosphere  of  rever- 
ence surrounds  the  entire  life  of  Christ.  In  prayer,  his 
language  was  not  familiar  but  reverent,  his  posture  showed 
respect.  He  cultivated  habits  of  reverence ;  he  prayed 
before  meals,  he  was  regular  in  attendance  at  the  temple 


Life  of  Christ.  291 

and  synagogue  services ;  he  observed  the  passover  meal, 
going  through  the  usual  ritual,  (d)  By  submission  we  do 
not  mean  any  doubt  of  his  own  powers,  or  inferiority  of 
essence,  but  a  deep  consciousness  that,  as  he  and  the  Fa- 
ther are  one,  all  credit  for  his  deeds,  his  words  and  his  mis- 
sion should  be  given  to  the  Father.  ( Jno.  5  :  19 ;  7  :  17,  28) . 
Not  my,  but  thy  will  be  done. 

490.  Christ's  Love  to  Men.  Christ's  love  for  men  man- 
ifested itself  in  his  high  appreciation  of  man,  his  sympathy, 
his  generosity,  his  accessibility,  his  longing  for  intimate 
friendship,  his  humility,  simplicity,  self-surrender,  his  obe- 
dience, his  candor  and  sincerity,  his  graciousness.  (i)  No 
one  ever  emphasized  the  value  of  man  as  he  did  (Mark  8: 
36;  Matt.  16:26).  He  interested  himself  in  the  children, 
watching  them  at  play  (Matt.  11 :  16),  rebuking  his  disciples 
for  keeping  them  from  him  (Matt.  19:  13),  and  declared 
the  child  an  example  for  his  disciples  (Matt.  18:2).  He 
protected  woman  and  therefore  severely  censured  the  lax 
interpretation  of  the  divorce  laws  by  the  liberal  school  of 
Hillel.  Socrates,  Plato  and  Aristotle  slurred  woman. 
(Speer,  the  Man  Jesus,  p.  136).  (2)  Christ's  great  sym- 
pathy is  exhibited  on  every  page  of  the  Gospel.  With  the 
exception  of  about  eight,  all  his  miracles  are  works  of 
mercy.  His  throbbing  heart  is  shown  in  phrases  constantly 
recurring:  "He  was  moved  ivith  compassion,"  (Matt.  20: 
34:9:36;  Luke  7:13;  Matt.  14:14;  15:32).  Twice  it  is 
reported  that  Christ  wept.  His  pity  went  out  to  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  men :  to  the  poor,  the  hungry,  the  be- 
reaved (the  three  raisings  of  the  dead),  the  sick  in  body 
and  mind,  the  erring  (publicans,  fallen  w^omen),  his  ene- 
mies (people  of  Jerusalem),  on  the  cross  (Jno.  22:50: 
23  •34)-  (3)  Christ  was  a  generous  soul.  When  he  said. 
'Mt  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,''  He  spoke  of 
his  personal  experience.  He  had  no  money,  but  he  gave 
his  time,  strength,  ideas,  heart  and  life.  Sympathy  con- 
sumed his  life  blood.  He  pleased  not  himself  (Rom.  15: 
3).     His  death  was  a  free  surrender,  a  self-sacrifice  (John 


292  Life  of  Christ. 

lo:  17,  18).  While  severe  towards  liimself,  he  was  very 
considerate  for  others.  Me  remembers  the  frailty  of  human 
nature  and  offers  the  disciples  a  vacation  (Mark  6:31). 
(4)  Christ  was  also  very  accessible  to  all  kinds  of  people: 
to  simple  fishermen  (John  1  :  37 ;  Mark  i  :  16),  to  anxious 
parents  (Mark  5:22;  7:25;  10:13),  to  publicans  (Matt. 
9:10;  10:3;  11:9;  Luke  19:2);  to  sinful  women  (Luke 
7:37;  Alatt.  21:31).  (5)  But  while  embracing  all  men, 
he  was  eager  for  more  intimate  friendship ;  he  was  individ- 
ualizing in  his  love  (Young  Ruler,  John,  Martha,  Mary, 
Lazarus.)  Even  l:)efore  the  beginning  of  his  public  min- 
istry, he  surrounded  himself  with  special  friends  (Jno.  i: 
39).  In  the  course  of  time,  wider  and  closer  circles  of 
friends  gathered  around  hiin  (the  Seventy,  the  Twelve,  the 
Three,  the  beloved  Disciple).  His  friendship  was  unselfish 
(John  18:8;  his  prayer  in  John  17  was  mostly  for  them), 
and  loyal  (John  13:  i :  "Once  a  friend,  always  a  friend"), 
and  without  showing  favoritism.  He  loved  each  one  to  the 
measure  of  his  receptivity.  He  gave  all  of  them  his  love 
(John  13:34),  his  knowledge  (Joh.n  15:  15),  his  example 
(John  13:  15).  (6)  The  Lord's  hinniliiy,  which,  according 
to  Ruskin,  is  the  first  test  of  truly  great  men,  was  empha- 
sized in  all  he  said  and  did.  The  incident  in  John  13  was 
characteristic  of  his  whole  life.  He  said,  "I  am  meek  and 
lov.'ly  in  heart,"  and  Paul  emphasised  that  he  "emptied 
himself"  (Phil.  2:5-11).  He  was  free  of  that  restless 
desire  for  distinction  which  is  so  common  in  great  men ; 
he  hated  disputes  as  to  who  should  be  the  greatest,  and  often 
enjoined  silence  on  the  beneficiaries  of  his  miracles.  His 
great  popularity  did  not  make  him  dizzy,  as  is  the  case  with 
most  great  men.  He  refused  even  a  king's  crown,  the 
hardest  thing  among  men.  (7)  He  possessed  simplicity  of 
heart,  which  Fenelon  defined  as  that  grace  which  frees  the 
soul  from  all  unnecessary  reflection  upon  itself.  (8)  His 
self-surrender.  He  surrendered  all,  even  his  home,  and 
became  a  wanderer  (John  9:  58).  When  he  died  he  seems 
to  have  had  but  one  r-uit  of  clothes ;  he  borrowed  money  to 


Life  of  Christ.  293 

use  as  an  illustration  (Matt.  22:9),  and  had  none  for  the 
payment  of  the  temple  tax.  (9)  One  of  the  oldest  daugh- 
ters of  love  is  obedience.  This  he  had  to  learn  (Heb.  5:8). 
To  his  Father's  business  he  was  faithfully  devoted  (John 
4:34;  6:38;  8:29).  In  his  family,  he  was  a  dutiful  son 
and  brother,  probably  the  bread-winner  after  Joseph's 
death ;  on  the  Cross  he  makes  provision  for  his  mother. 
The  address  "woman"  in  John  2:4  is  not  disrespectful  ac- 
cording to  custom  and  the  idiom  of  the  language.  (10) 
But  love  is  not  genuine  if  it  is  not  candid  (from  candidus — 
white)  and  sincere  (from  the  Latin  "sine  cera,"  without 
wax),  that  is,  outspoken,  open,  frank,  without  guile  and 
craft,  not  tricky.  He  hated  hypocrisy,  (a)  Jesus  was  can- 
did in  his  teaching.  He  said  what  he  believed  and  believed 
what  he  said.  (b)  He  never  held  back  the  truth  from 
his  friends.  He  told  his  disciples,  "behold,  I  send  you  forth 
as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves"  (Matt.  10).  Thrice  he  an- 
nounced his  death,  when  all  expected  a  great  triumph.  His 
candor  at  Capernaum  reduced  the  number  of  his  followers 
materially  (Jno.  7:66).  He  candidly  speaks  of  limitations 
to  his  knowledge  and  authority,  during  his  lifetime  on  earth 
(Mark  13:32;  10:40).  In  John  14:  i  he  assures  his  dis- 
ciples that  they  always  may  expect  candor  from  him.  He 
urges  men  to  count  the  cost  (Luke  14:  25),  instead  of  win- 
ning them  by  promises;  (c)  towards  his  foes,  he  used  plain 
words,  calling  the  rulers  liars,  Herod  a  fox  and  the  Phari- 
sees, hypocrites.  (11)  Graciousncss  is  also  very  con- 
spicuous in  Jesus'  character.  Even  saints  are  at  times  bad 
neighbors  whom  we  like  at  a  distance.  But  Christ  had  that 
amiable  unconstrained  expression  of  a  self-forgetting 
mind.  He  had  the  happy  faculty  of  doing  the  right  thing 
in  the  right  way  at  the  right  time. 

491.  Christ's  Aesthetic  Emotions  and  Humor,  (i) 
As  far  as  our  sources  inform  us,  Christ  was  no  artist,  nor 
a  poet.  But  his  aesthetic  emotions  came  into  play  mostly 
in  his  loving  appreciation  of  nature.  He  watched  the 
weather,  the  lightning,  sunrise  and  sunset,  and  knew  the 


294  Life  of  Christ. 

weather  rules  of  his  day  (Jno.  12:  54).  lie  used  the  lilies, 
the  raven,  the  fig  tree  as  illustrations.  (2)  Did  Christ  have 
a  humorous  vein?  Certainly  not,  if  we  understand  by  that 
term  levity  and  mere  fun.  But  in  the  higher  sense  of  that 
term  he  possessed  this  great  gift  of  God.  Being  a  normal 
man  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  Christ  could  not  help 
smiling  when  little  Zacchaeus  climbed  down  from  his  odd 
perch,  or  when  he  saw  the  Pharisees  who  had  so  confident- 
ly attacked  him,  completely  cornered,  so  that  they  quietly 
retired.  Many  of  our  Lord's  sayings  are  so  evidently  sur- 
charged with  true  humor  and  witticism  that  the  reading  o: 
them  would  at  once  cause  a  broad  smile  or  a  hearty  laugh, 
if  they  were  not  so  familiar  and  if  we  did  not  think  it  ir- 
reverent to  give  such  expressions  of  approval.  We  quote 
from  D.  G.  P.  Eckman  (Meth.  Review)  as  follows:  "Ob- 
serve his  quaint  characterizations  of  those  who  carefully 
cleanse  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  platter,  forgetting  that 
they  drink  and  feed  from  the  inside  of  these  vessels ;  of 
men  who  carefully  strain  out  a  gnat  but  incontinently  swal- 
low a  camel.  Notice  how  he  hits  off  the  absurdity  of  trying 
to  serve  two  masters,  of  feeding  pearls  to  swine,  of  putting 
a  light  under  a  bushel,  of  proffering  a  stone  instead  of 
bread,  or  a  serpent  instead  of  a  fish,  or  a  scorpion  instead 
of  an  egg,  of  pitting  Beelzebub  against  himself.  What  a 
grotesque  thing  it  is  for  a  camel  to  attempt  to  squeeze 
through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  or  for  a  blind  man  to  try  to 
lead  another  sightless  mortal,  with  the  result  that  both 
pitch  into  the  gutter.  How  preposterous  it  is  for  a  man 
with  a  beam  in  his  eye  to  offer  to  remove  a  mote  from  his 
brother's  eye.  Consider  the  ludicrous  plight  of  the  archi- 
tect who  places  a  house  on  the  shifting  sands,  of  the  gen- 
eral who  goes  to  war  without  thinking  it  worth  while  to 
estimate  the  possible  resources  of  his  enemy,  of  the  man 
who  makes  himself  the  laughing-stock  of  the  town  by  com- 
mencing to  build  a  tower  which  he  has  no  means  to  finish. 
These  are  delicious  bits  of  our  Lord's  humor  with  a  high 
moral  purpose.     Remember  the  pathetic  humor  of  his  re- 


Life  of  Christ.  295 

sponse  when  the  Pharisees  warned  him  that  Herod  was  on 
his  track:  'Go  ye,  and  tell  that  fox,  Behold,  I  cast  out 
devils,  and  I  do  cures  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  the  third 
day  I  shall  be  perfected,  .  .  .  for  it  can  not  be  that  a  prophet 
perish  out  of  Jerusalem.'  Recall  his  quiet  remarks,  prob- 
ably accompanied  by  a  tremulous  smile,  when  the  disciples 
brought  out  two  old  swords  with  which  to  confront  the 
world,  'It  is  enough !'  Run  through  his  parables,  and  ob- 
serve how  a  rich  vein  of  humor  pervades  nearly  all  of  the 
more  important  ones.  What  further  need  is  there  of  il- 
lustrations?— though  the  number  of  those  not  mentioned 
here  is  very  considerable." 

492.  The  Effect  of  these  Emotions  on  Jesus,  (i)  As 
to  his  personal  life  a  large  measure  of  joy  and  gladness  was 
poured  out  over  his  entire  personality.  The  painters  repre- 
sent him  as  sad  and  melancholy,  but  on  friend  and  foe  he 
made  the  opposite  impression.  The  latter  called  him  a 
glutton  and  winebibber,  a  boon  companion  of  sinners,  i.  e., 
a  light-hearted  man.  These  charges  were  slanders,  but  as 
slanders  are  usually  based  on,  and  simply  exaggerate,  a 
man's  general  habits,  these  very  slanders  show  that  he  did 
not  impress  his  contemporaries  as  morose.  His  friends 
tell  us  he  attended  a  wedding  and  various  social  occasions, 
that  he  discouraged  fasting,  compared  himself  to  a  bride- 
groom, declared  that  the  child  is  the  pattern  for  a  true 
disciple,  compared  his  kingdom  to  a  marriage  feast,  and 
bade  them  even  to  express  their  joy  outwardly:  "Rejoice 
and  leap  for  joy."  True,  the  sources  do  not  record  that  he 
ever  laughed,  but  this  may  be  due  to  their  brevity ;  moreover, 
they  mention  only  twice  that  he  wept  because  it  was  so  ex- 
ceptional. Also  considered  on  general  principles,  Jesus'  life 
must  have  been  happy  and  cheerful,  because  he  was  active, 
loving,  hopeful,  godly.  (2)  In  reference  to  his  great  work 
in  the  future,  these  emotions  made  Jesus  hopeful  and  spread 
over  the  entire  life  of  the  Saviour  the  spirit  of  optimism ; 
not  that  brainless  feeling  which  is  often  called  by  this  name, 
but  that  strong  conviction  that  the  good  will  finally  triumph. 


296  Life  of  Christ. 

a  feeling  born  of  faith  in  God  and  belief  in  the  possibilities 
of  human  nature,  lie  saw  the  rocky  element  in  Peter,  he 
knew  that  publicans  can  repent,  and  that  the  crown  follows 
the  cross  (John  12:32).  "He  of  good  cheer,  1  have  over- 
come the  world,"  was  one  of  his  last  words.  He  was  "an 
incorrigible  optimist."  (Farewell  addresses — "Gospel.") 
(3)  In  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  these  hopeful  feelings 
surcharged  everything  with  a  glowing  enthusiasm,  which 
may  be  defined  as  the  condition  of  one  being  possessed  of 
God  (Luke  2:41  ;  Matt.  4:1).  He  was  so  wrapped  up  in 
his  work  that  his  friends  considered  him  on  the  verge  of 
nervous  prostration  and  insanity  and  his  enemies  said  he 
was  possessed  of  a  demon  (Mark  3:21-31).  This  quality 
of  optimism  drew  like-minded  men  to  him. 

IV.     The  Will-Power  of  Jesus. 

493.  Outgoing  Manifestations  of  Christ's  Will-Power. 
Modern  psychology  divides  the  manifestations  of  the  will 
into  two  classes:  i.  The  outgoing  manifestations,  by  which 
is  meant  the  capacity  of  man  to  assert  himself  in  life  and 
to  change  the  existing  state  of  things.  2.  The  inholding 
manifestations,  that  is,  the  ability  to  subject  one's  self  to 
divine  and  human  laws  and  customs.  Prominent  among 
the  outgoing  manifestations  of  Christ's  will  are  his  self- 
assertion,  courage,  energy,  self-limitation  and  indignation. 
I.  Christ's  self-assertion  exj^ressed  itself  in  words  and  ac- 
tions, against  friends  and  foes,  (a)  In  His  teaching:  he 
firmly  insisted  on  his  deity  and  the  attending  prerogatives. 
He  was  little  affected  by  the  spirit  of  the  times,  because  he 
was  a  universal  genius.  Pie  opposed  false  traditions  and 
standards.  He  was  absolutely  certain  of  what  is  the  truth. 
He  affirmed  that  God  had  a  great  plan  and  that  he  knew 
what  it  was.  Though  the  political  confusion  of  his  times 
made  it  dangerous  to  speak  of  a  "kingdom  of  God,"  he 
freely  used  that  term,  even  before  Pilate,  (b)  He  cleansed 
the  temple,  raised  Lazarus  and  entered  Jerusalem  as  the 
Messiah,     (c)  Neither  friend  nor  foe  could  bend  or  manipu- 


IJfe  of  Christ.  297 

late  him.  He  overrode  family  influences,  opposing  his 
mother  at  Cana  and  Capernaum  (John  2:1:  Matt.  12:46- 
50),  and  his  brethren  (John  7:  31).  His  will  clashed  with 
that  of  the  Baptist.  Pie  repulsed  Peter  when  he  tried  to 
dissuade  him  from  going  to  Jerusalem,  and  with  manly- 
firmness  and  prophetic  clearness  he  approaches  his  passion. 
That  neither  the  prince  of  darkness  nor  his  helpers  could 
frighten  or  bend  Jesus  needs  no  illustration,  (d)  Self- 
assertion  in  itself  is  not  a  vice.  All  depends  upon  its  mo- 
tive. It  was  Christ's  vocation  to  assert  the  truth,  and 
weakness  here  would  have  been  wickedness.  2.  Side  by 
side  with  firmness  in  Jesus'  character  goes  undaunted  cour- 
age, physical,  moral  and  intellectual,  (a)  He  faced  the  mob, 
his  traitor,  the  desecrators  of  the  temple,  the  rulers.  No- 
tice his  calmness  in  the  tempest,  before  his  judges  and  at 
the  crucifixion,  (b)  He  remained  firm  when  many  left  him 
at  the  crisis  in  Capernaum,  and  dares  to  oiTend  good  so- 
ciety by  disregarding  conventionalities.  He  preached  good 
sermons  to  small  audiences  (Nicodemus,  Samaritan  wom- 
an), (c)  He  preached  unpopular  truths  and  traced  them 
out  in  all  their  consequences.  3.  He  was  a  man  of  intense 
energy.  The  people  agreed  that  he  even  surpassed  the 
Baptist,  that  great  man  of  action  (Matt.  14:2),  and  they 
expressed  the  conviction  that  if  he  was  not  the  Christ,  the 
real  Christ  could  not  surpass  him  (John  7:31).  4.  But 
hand  in  hand  with  this  energ}'  goes  what  we  might  call  his 
self-limitation,  both  in  extent  and  scope.  To  know  how  far 
to  go  also  requires  will  power.  His  personal  work,  and  also 
that  of  his  disciples  during  his  lifetime  was  to  be  restricted 
to  the  Jews  only,  and  when  he  was  asked  to  interfere  in 
questions  of  inheritance,  taxation,  etc.,  he  refused.  "In 
der  Beschraenkung  zeigt  sich  der  Meister"  (Goethe).  5. 
Another  manly  virtue  in  the  Lord's  character  is  his  indigna- 
tion. He  repelled  temptation  (Mark  8:33);  hypocrisy 
roused  him  to  a  flame  of  judgment  (Mark  3:  5,  11,  15-17; 
Matt.  23:  1-36)  ;  treachery  shook  him  to  the  centre  of  his 
being    (John    13:21);   desecration   of   the   temple   angered 


298  Life  of  Christ. 

him;  perversion  of  the  true  idea  of  death  aroused  him  at 
the  grave  of  Lazarus  (John  11 :  38).  He  was  indignant  at 
the  treatment  the  rulers  accorded  to  the  people.  Indiffer- 
ence toward  wrong  is  an  unerring  sign  of  moral  deteriora- 
tion and  of  a  weak  will.  In  Jesus,  indignation  never  passed 
the  limit,  when  it  becomes  sin;  it  was  one  manifestation  of 
his  love. 

494.  The  Inholding  Manifestations  of  Christ's  Will- 
Power.  These  are  seen  in  his  patience  and  caution,  i.  Pa- 
tience is  self-restraint,  an  active  virtue,  and  may  be  defined 
as  a  calm  waiting  for  something  hoped  for.  He  waited  for 
many  years  till  the  Baptist  arose.  When  urged  to  hurry  on, 
he  replies :  "Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  a  day ;  my  hour 
has  not  come"  (see  also  John  7).  Instead  of  setting  Pales- 
tine on  fiire  with  a  Messianic  declaration,  before  the  people 
were  prepared,  he  asks,  "tell  no  man,"  and  after  the  trans- 
figuration he  says:  "keep  still."  The  slowness  of  his  dis- 
ciples tried  his  patience,  but  he  never  lost  it  (Matt.  15:  16; 
16:  5-12).  How  patiently  did  he  treat  Judas,  warning  him 
again  and  again  of  the  lurking  danger.  The  cursing  of  the 
fig  tree  was  not  a  lack  of  patience,  but  an  acted  parable.  He 
never  lost  his  temper,  or  the  ability  to  reply  wiselv,  and  was 
never  disconcerted  by  interruptions.  Notice  his  calm  during 
his  enemies'  plotting,  at  his  trial  and  on  the  cross.  Socrates 
and  the  Stoics  came  nearest  to  him  in  this  respect.  2.  The 
Lord's  courage  never  degenerated  into  foolhardiness.  Jesus 
was  cautious  and  circumspect.  Several  times  he  fled  from 
danger,  for  eighteen  months  he  stayed  away  from  Jeru- 
salem, after  the  rulers  had  taken  official  action  to  kill  him 
(John  5:  18).  After  the  meeting  of  the  Sanhedrin  on  the 
Hill  of  Evil  Council  he  withdraws  to  Kphraim   (John   ii: 

47-54). 

495.  The  Unity  of  Christ's  Character,  (i)  The  total 
impression  ("der  Gesammteindruck")  of  Christ's  person- 
ality is,  first,  that  his  was  a  perfectly  harmonious  character. 
In  him  all  virtues  were  finely  balanced  and  the  three  mani- 
festations of  personality,   intellect,   feeling  and  will,  were 


Life  of  Christ.  299 

perfectly  correlated.  He  was  \o\e,  but  also  truth;  merciful, 
but  just;  firm,  but  not  obstinate;  strong,  but  gentle;  tender, 
but  not  effeminate ;  courageous,  but  never  rash.  Ordinary 
men  are  in  constant  danger  of  extremes.  From  enthusiasm 
they  run  into  fanaticism  and  intolerance,  from  firmness  into 
harshness,  from  mildness  into  weakness.  On  account  of 
the  even  balance  of  his  faculties  we  cannot  attribute  to  Jesus 
any  one  of  the  four  temperaments.  "He  was  neither  san- 
guine, like  Peter ;  nor  choleric,  like  Paul ;  nor  melancholic, 
like  John;  nor  phlegmatic,  like  James.  He  combined  the 
vivacity  without  the  levity  of  the  sanguine,  the  vigor  with- 
out the  violence  of  the  choleric,  the  seriousness  without  the 
austerity  of  the  melancholic,  the  calmness  without  the 
apathy  of  the  phlegmatic  temperament."  (Schaff,  Person 
of  Christ.)  (2)  The  gospels  portray  him,  negatively,  as  a 
sinless  and  positively  as  a  perfect  man.  This  was  his  own 
conviction  and  the  testimony  of  friends  and  foes :  the  Bap- 
tist, Peter,  Judas,  Pilate  and  his  wife,  the  malefactor  and 
centurion,  the  false  witnesses  (i  Peter  2:  22;  2  Cor.  5 :  21  ; 
I  John  3:5;  Heb.  4:  15;  7:  26).  He  is  intolerant  of  evil. 
He  never  prayed  for,  but  bestows,  pardon.  More  than 
this:  it  is  moral  perfection,  absolute  goodness  that  he  pos- 
sesses according  to  the  gospel  story.  "No  one  is  good  but 
the  father"  (Matt.  19:  17)  does  not  contradict  this.  Here 
Jesus  refused  the  attribute,  because  the  speaker  regarded 
him  as  a  mere  man.  Both  these  qualities  constituted  his 
s piritnal-niindedness ,  by  which  we  mean  the  general  bend  of 
thought  and  motive  toward  divine  things.  He  moves  hab- 
itually in  the  realm  of  heavenly  realities.  Proofs  of  this 
are  too  abundant  to  be  specific  in  detail.  (3)  Jesus  was  a 
strong  man  of  commanding  personality.  As  such  he  pro- 
duced in  others  admiration  (Luke  23  :  40,  47)  ;  astonishment 
(Matt.  7:28;  Mark  7 :  Z7 '^  9^15);  shame  (Luke  13:7; 
John  8:9);  confidence  (Lvike  18:37);  f^^^"  ^^"^  hatred 
(Luke  8:37;  John  11:53).  By  his  power  of  personality 
he  drew  the  good  and  repulsed  bad  men.  "Follow  me," 
he  said  to  the  disciples,  and  they  felt  a  strange  fascination 


30O  Life  of  Christ. 

which  drew  them  towards  him.  The  bitter  hatred  of  his 
enemies  indicates  power,  for  we  cannot  hate  a  weakling, 
much  as  we  may  despise  him.  The  paintings  which  make 
him  appear  subdued  and  effeminate  are  not  true  to  the  colors 
furnished  by  those  who  saw  him  every  day.  (4)  As  a  re- 
sult of  all  these  perfections  even  the  world  has  considered 
him  a  truly  great  man  in  the  most  comprehensive  sense  of 
the  term.  The  better  he  w-as  known  the  readier  was  his 
superiority  acknowledged.  Notice  the  testimonials  by  the 
Baptist,  ("He  is  greater  than  T").  by  his  mother,  brothers, 
Peter,  the  other  disciples,  popular  opinion.  In  his  enemies 
the  growing  respect  expressed  itself  in  growing  hatred. 
Finally  it  must  not  be  overlooked  that  Jesus  was  great  in 
all  things  that  pertain  to  perfect  manliness,  while  others  are 
often  only  great  artists,  great  conquerors,  great  statesmen, 
but  small  men.  In  contrast  with  the  jealousy,  pettiness  and 
malice  of  his  friends  and  foes,  Christ's  greatness  shines 
forth  gloriously.    "Behold  the  Man  !" 

496.  How  to  Account  for  Christ's  Character.  How  do 
the  writers  of  the  New  Testament  account  for  this  unique 
personality?  Simply  by  accepting  Christ's  own  testimony 
concerning  his  superhuman  and  divine  origin  and  char- 
acter— his  coequality  and  coeternity  with  the  Father,  as 
explained  in  the  first  chapters  of  Matthew,  Luke  and  John, 
and  in  many  other  passages.  On  any  other  theory  the  ap- 
pearance of  absolutely  perfect  and  sinless  manhood  makes 
a  much  larger  draft  on  reason  and  faith  than  the  Biblical 
accounts  do. 

497.  Reference  Literature.  Barrows,  Personality  of  Jesus,  Ch. 
I ;  Jefferson,  Character  of  Jesus ;  A.  W.  Hitchcock,  The  Psychology 
of  Jesus;  A.  E.  Garvie,  Studies  in  the  Inner  Life  of  Jesus;  Mac- 
laren.  The  Mind  of  the  Master;  Schaff,  The  Person  of  Christ; 
Davis,  D.  B.  on  "Jesus" ;  also  Hast.  D.  C.  and  others ;  Godet,  Stud. 
in  N.  T.  p.  84;  Bushnell,  Char,  of  Jesus;  Speer,  Personality  of 
Christ;  Farrar,  Christ  in  Art;  also  Hast.  D.  C,  I,  308:  on  dress,  T, 
498;  looks  of  C.  Hast.,  D.  C.  2;  Gestures,  I,  645;  Catacombs,  in 
Sanford's  End;  "Haar,"  and  Veronica,  see  Herzog;  Emerson,  Uses 
of  Great  Men;  Jewitt,  W.  H.,  "The  Nativity  in  Art   and  Song"; 


Life  of  Christ.  301 

Johnson,  Franklin,  "Have  We  the  Likeness  of  Christ?"  Bailey, 
H.  T.,  "The  Great  Painter's  Gospel";  Mental  Char.,  in  Hast.  D.  C, 
H,  161;  Bernard,  H.  N.,  "The  Mental  Characteristics  of  Christ"; 
Swayne,  W.  S.,  "Our  Lord's  Knowledge  as  Man" ;  on  his  orig- 
inality see  Hast.  D.  C.  H,  285;  Pfleiderer,  Origins,  p.  31  and  83; 
Christ  and  Science,  in  Hast.  D.  C,  H,  577;  Hast.  D.  C,  on  "Man 
of  Sorrows,"  H,  665;  Obedience,  H,  256;  self-control,  H,  546;  sin- 
lessness,  H,  636;  Ullman,  Sinlessness  of  Jesus. 

CHAPTER  51. 

The  Work  of  Jesus. 

I.     The  Life-Plan  of  Jesus. 

498.  ( I )  Our  Lord  not  only  was  good,  but  he  did  good. 
His  motto  was :  "My  Father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work." 
(Jno.  5:17;  9:4-)  (2)  This  fact  raises  the  important 
question,  Did  Jesus  have  a  definite  plan  of  work,  or  was  he 
the  unconscious  instrument  working  out  God's  purposes, 
without  seeing  the  end  from  the  beginning,  Hke  many  great 
men  (Paul,  Luther).  The  gospels  show  plainly  that  the  life 
of  Jesus  was  but  the  gradual  unfolding  of  a  vast  design,  of 
which  not  only  the  Father  was  conscious,  but  also  the  Son. 
A  strong  and  clear  consciousness  of  his  mission  is  expressed 
in  Matt.  5  :  17;  9:  13  ;  20:  28;  Mk.  i  :  17 ;  2  :  17 ;  8:  45  ;  Lu. 
12:50;  19:  10;  Jno.  5  .-30;  6:  38;  7:  16;  8:  18;  18:37. 

499.  What  was  Christ's  Plan?  (i)  This  may  be  in- 
ferred from  his  work.  It  was,  negatively,  expressed  at  his 
temptation  when  he  rejected  the  plan  of  worldly  and  devil- 
ish wisdom,  and,  positively,  by  his  constant  declaration  that 
he  came  to  establish  the  kingdom  of  God,  or  of  heaven. 
That  this  was  the  keynote  of  Christ's  teaching  is  clear  from 
the  fact  that  the  first  phrase  occurs  five  times  in  ]\Iatt.,  fif- 
teen times  in  Mk.,  thirty-three  times  in  Lu. ;  twice  in  Jno., 
and  seven  times  in  Acts ;  and  the  latter  expression  is  found 
one  hundred  and  two  times  in  Matt.,  but  not  in  the  other 
gospels.  (2)  The  term  has  various  meanings  in  the  N.  T. ; 
but  in  most  of  the  passages  it  denotes  the  reign  of  God  in 


302  IJfe  of  Christ. 

the  heart  of  man,  being  made  effective  among  men  by  the 
operation  of  the  two  great  laws  of  love  to  God  and  men. 
The  operation  of  this  law  in  the  soul  of  the  individual  is  to 
work  itself  out  in  the  gradual  change  of  existing  social 
and  political  conditions.  (3)  Hence,  in  one  sense  this  king- 
dom has  already  come  (Mk.  i:  15;  Lu.  10:9;  11:20;  16: 
16;  17:21),  namely,  in  Christ's  person  and  in  those  who 
have  begun  practicing  its  principles.  In  another  sense  it  is 
yet  to  come,  extensively  and  intensively,  i.  e.,  more  men 
must  be  brought  under  the  benign  rule  of  God's  spirit,  and 
those  who  profess  to  be  subjects  of  this  kingdom  must  be 
more  thoroughly  sanctified.  (4)  At  ivliat  period  of  Christ's 
life  did  he  become  conscious  of  God's  plan?  Either  when 
he  became  a  "Son  of  the  I^w,"  a  full  member  of  the 
Jewish  Church,  or  at  his  baptism  through  the  voice  from 
above,  or  at  his  temptation,  or  on  Palm  Sunday,  when  he 
decided  to  enter  into  Jerusalem  as  the  Messianic  king.  (5) 
Did  his  plan  undergo  any  material  change  during  his  life- 
time? Some  affirm  it,  but  the  details  of  the  realization  of 
his  program  show  that  the  great  end  in  view  remained  un- 
changed, while  he  adapted  his  method  to  the  varying  cir- 
cumstances brought  about  by  clearer  revelations  from  the 
Father  and  by  the  exercise  of  man's  ])ersonal  freedom.  (6) 
The  general  outline  of  his  plan  may  be  found  in  his  life  as 
described  in  the  gospels.  (7)  What  were  the  means  by 
which  Christ  executed  his  great  plan?  By  preaching,  teach- 
ing, example,  miracles  and  death.  Thus  he  became  the 
world's  greatest  prophet,  eternal  king  and  only  High  Priest. 

II.     Christ  as  a  Preacher. 

500.  A  Preacher  of  Marked  Ability.  (1  )  He  spake  as 
never  man  spake.  He  was  preaching  ez'ery  day:  in  the 
synagogues,  the  temple,  the  streets,  the  squares,  the  hill- 
sides, and  at  the  sea  shore.  (2)  In  his  audiences,  all  classes 
were  represented :  Pharisees,  politicians,  doctors,  common 
people.  (3)  The  magnet  which  drew  most  of  them  was  his 
doctrine  and  his  method  and  spirit.     (4)  The  substance  of 


Life  of  Christ.  303 

his  teaching  was,  "what  man  is  to  believe  concerning  God, 
and  what  duty  God  requires  of  men."  In  pregnant  language 
he  told  Pilate  that  his  life-work  was  to  declare  the  truth 
(the  reality  of  things).  Christ  knew  that  for  all  the  ills  of 
life,  political,  social  and  personal,  there  is  but  one  remedy 
— Divine  truth ;  and  that  all  real  reformation  begins  in  the 
mind  and  soul  of  the  individual.  The  centre  of  his  teach- 
ing was  Christ  himself  (against  Harnack:  "Jesus  is  not  a 
part  of  his  gospel").  The  ethics  of  Jesus  embrace  indivi- 
dual, social,  political  and  business  morality.  The  predictive 
element  is  found  in  Matt.  25.  Of  scientific  subjects  he 
spoke  in  the  language  of  the  day,  for  it  was  not  his  prov- 
ince to  reveal  the  principles  of  science,  for  which  work  God 
has  given  mail  the  light  of  reason.  (5)  The  chief  subjects 
of  his  preaching  were  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  nature  of 
God,  Christ's  own  personality  and  work,  the  condition  of 
salvation,  man's  eternal  destiny.  (6)  We  have  only  a  fezv 
fragments  of  his  three  years'  teaching.  His  recorded  words 
number  about  38,422,  or  the  equivalent  of  ten  short  sermons. 
(7)  The  source  of  Christ's  preaching  was  neither  Budd- 
hism nor  Phariseeism,  nor  Rabbinism  (Jno.  7:  15),  nor  Es- 
senism,  but  the  O.  T.  on  which  he  had  a  firm  and  unique 
grasp,  and  the  manifestation  and  unfolding  of  his  Divine 
mind.  (8)  The  aim  of  his  preaching  was  to  give  right  con- 
ceptions, to  move  to  right  actions,  to  change  dispositions, 
to  reveal  new  truth  which  unaided  human  reason  could  not 
reach,  to  thrill  souls  by  a  Divine  impulse. 

501.  Christ's  Qualification  as  a  Preacher,  (i)  His 
preaching  gifts  were  of  the  highest  order.  He  had  knowl- 
edge of  his  subject;  he  knew  the  truth,  the  Father,  the 
Scriptures,  he  also  knew  his  hearers  (Pharisees,  Peter, 
Judas,  Thomas),  and  could  therefore  adapt  his  teaching  to 
their  needs.  (2)  The  general  characteristics  of  his  preach- 
ing were  authority,  plainness,  directness,  earnestness,  com- 
passion, love  and  tact.  (3)  Jesus  considered  also  the  form 
of  preaching  of  importance.  His  sayings  present  illustrious 
examples  of  most  of  the  means  known  to  rhetoric  by  which 


304  Life  of  Christ. 

speech  is  made  effective.  And  even  to-day  Christ's  ser- 
mons owe  their  attractiveness,  in  no  small  degree,  to  their 
exquisite  form.  No  preacher  ever  made  a  profound  im- 
pression on  the  average  mind  v^'ho  has  not  studied  the  form 
in  which  to  put  his  thoughts.  (4)  His  rhetoric  consisted  in 
(a)  plain  didactic  teaching;  (b)  a  wealth  of  illustrations, 
because  they  attract  attention,  quicken  apprehension  and  aid 
the  memory;  (c)  the  question;  John  alone  records  157 
questions  of  moment:  51  asked  by  Jesus,  45  asked  of  him 
and  62  provoked  by  him,  many  of  the  latter  being  interrup- 
tions. The  question  method  tests  the  hearer's  knowledge, 
arouses  his  attention  and  awakens  his  thought;  (d)  reitera- 
tion (Jno.  3)  ;  (e)  the  use  of  Scripture  for  explanation  and 
confirmation;  (f)  sententious  sayings,  often  arranged  in  the 
parallelism  of  Hebrew  poetry — crisp,  pointed,  easily  re- 
membered and  hence  effective  (Matt.  23:12;  Mk.  2:17; 
4:22;  Lu.  13:30;  Jno.  4:24). 

502.  Christ's  Parables,  (i)  A  very  effective  method 
of  the  Lord's  preaching  was  his  use  of  parables  (para- 
ballo  to  throw  side  by  side,  that  is  an  incident  and  a  spiritual 
truth,  for  the  purpose  of  comparison).  (2)  There  are  tzvo 
classes — (a)  parabolic  sayings,  figurative  forms,  involving 
mental  but  not  expressed  comparisons.  (Mk.  2:17,  21; 
Matt.  7:16;  Jno.  3:8;  13:16.)  (b)  developed  parables, 
comparisons  drawn  from  real  life.  (3)  The  number  of 
parables  recorded  depends  on  the  range  given  to  the  term. 
Trench  reckons  30,  others  as  high  as  50.  All  are  in  the 
Synoptists,  none  in  John.  (4)  They  may  be  divided  into 
three  groups — (a)  drawn  from  nature  and  having  for  their 
subject  the  laws  of  the  kingdom  of  God — the  eight  in  Mt. 
13  and  Mk.  4;  (b)  after  an  interval  of  several  months  we 
find  16  parables  drawn  from  the  life  of  men — Two  Debtors 
(Lu.  7);  Merciless  Servant  (Mt.  18):  Good  Samaritan 
(Lu.  10);  Friend  at  Midnight  (Lu.  11);  Rich  Fool  (Lu. 
12) ;  Wedding  Feast  { Lu.  12)  :  Fig  Tree  (Lu.  13)  :  Great 
Supper  (Lu.  14)  ;  the  three  of  the  Lost  Found  ( Lu.  15)  ; 
Unjust  Steward    (Lu.   16);  Rich  Man  and   Lazarus   (Lu. 


Life  of  Christ.  305 

16)  ;  Unjust  Judge  (Lu.  18)  ;  Pharisee  and  Publican  (Lu. 
18)  ;  Laborer  in  the  Vineyard  (Mt.  20). —  (c)  The  last 
group  contains  seven  which  were  spoken  toward  the  end 
of  Christ's  ministry.  They  have  for  their  general  subject 
the  final  consummation  of  the  kingdom — The  Pounds 
(Minae)  (Lu.  19)  ;  Two  Sons  (Matt.  21)  ;  Wicked  Hus- 
bandmen (Matt.  21)  ;  Marriage  Feast  (Matt.  22)  ;  Ten  Vir- 
gins (Matt.  25)  ;  Talents  (Matt.  25)  ;  Sheep  and  the  Goats 
(Matt.  25).  (5)  The  lazv  for  iiiterpreting  parables:  (a) 
do  not  press  the  parable  and  deduce  from  it  meanings  not 
intended,  and  (b)  do  not  empty  it  of  its  evidently  intended 
meaning.  Find  the  intended  point,  the  real  purpose  of  the 
parable,  and  regard  all  other  features  as  drapery  and  color- 
ing. The  standard  by  which  all  interpretations  must  be 
measured  is  the  direct  teaching  of  Christ  in  plain  language. 
(6)  The  parabolic  teaching  is  not  original  with  Jesus. 
Hillel,  Schamai  and  other  rabbi  used  parables  to  convey  to 
their  pupils  the  treasures  of  wisdom  of  which  the  people 
were  ignorant.  Yet  his  are  the  choicest  specimens  in  the 
world's  literature.  At  the  beginning  of  Christ's  ministry, 
he  used  the  direct  method  of  teaching.  When  this  was 
met  with  scorn  and  unbelief,  he  adopted  the  Rabinnical 
method.  When  his  disciples  expressed  astonishment  the 
Lord  assigns  two  reasons  for  his  use  of  parables:  (a)  they 
withdraw  the  light  from  them  who  love  darkness,  as  a 
punishment  (Matt.  13:13);  (b)  they  protect  the  truth 
which  they  enshrine  from  the  mockery  of  the  scoffer,  but 
reveal  it  to  the  thoughtful. 

III.     Christ  as  a  Teacher. 

503.  (i)  As  a  preacher  Christ  addressed  the  multitude, 
but  as  a  teacher  he  concentrated  his  attention  on  the  Twelve. 
The  greatest  intellects  have  devoted  their  best  powers  to  a 
few  (Socrates,  Plato,  Aristotle,  Hillel,  Philo).  (2)  While 
his  work  as  a  preacher  was  more  fascinating,  Christ  devoted 
most  of  his  time  to  the  training  of  the  Twelve,  especially 
during  his  last  year.     (3)  In  most  respects  Christ's  methods 


3o6  Life  of  Christ. 

of  teaching  the  Twelve  were  similar  to  those  which  he  pur- 
sued with  the  multitude.  The  distinctive  features  were  the 
permission  to  ask  questions  (he  even  provoked  them  to  do 
so,  like  Socrates)  and  his  endeavor  to  teach  them  the  deeper 
principles  of  the  trulh.  (4)  His  chief  aim  was  to  train  men 
to  become  his  accredited  successors. 

IV.     Christ  as  a  Controversialist. 

504.  (i)  A  very  large  part  of  Christ's  recorded  say- 
ings are  controversies.  Religious  controversies  are  unpleas- 
ant but  often  necessary.  Because  Christ  knew  the  truth, 
he  was  prompted  to  combat  error.  (2)  His  method  was  an 
appeal  to  Scripture,  to  his  own  consciousness,  and  to  com- 
mon sense  and  reason  (e.  g.  the  Tribute  Money).  (3)  Es- 
pecially towards  the  end  of  his  life,  Jesus  poured  on  the 
rulers  a  torrent  of  scorn  never  equalled  in  its  withering 
annihilating  vehemence  (Matt.  23).  (See  Stalker,  Jesus  as 
a  Controversialist,  ch.  15  in  his  "Imago  Christi.") 

V.     Christ  Our  Example. 

505.  Jesus  was  not  a  mere  theorizing  Socrates  or  Sen- 
eca, but  interwoven  with  his  teaching  was  his  conduct,  the 
influence  of  his  holy  personality,  his  ordinary  good  deeds, 
and  his  great  miracles.  The  Lord's  mere  presence  had  a 
sanctifying  influence  upon  the  people,  which  is  true  of  all 
good  people.  It  is  helpful  to  study  his  dealings  with  various 
classes  of  men:  (i)  those  outside  of  the  kingdom;  (a)  the 
openly  lost  (publicans,  Samaritans,  the  great  sinner,  the 
adulteress,  the  malefactor)  ;  (b)  the  self-righteous;  (c)  the 
cavillers  who  watch  and  tempt  him;  (d)  those  that  re- 
mained impenitent  (Jerusalem,  Bethsaida)  ;  (2)  those  on  the 
border  of  the  kingdom  (the  5,000;  4,000;  blind  men  at 
Jericho,  Zachaeus,  Nicodemus)  ;  (3)  those  inside  the  king- 
dom (the  Baptist,  the  Twelve,  Peter,  Thomas). 

506.  Also  in  the  various  relations  of  life  Jesus  set  us  an 
example  by  his  conduct,  (i)  He  honored  the  family,  and 
therefore   severelv  denounced   the   Pharisees  for  allowing 


Life  of  Christ.  307 

divorces  on  frivolous  grounds,  and  for  teaching  the  children 
to  break  the  fifth  commandment  by  their  shameful  "corban" 
scheme.  He  often  relieved  domestic  trouble  (Cana,  Nain, 
Lazarus).  (2)  He  respected  the  Church,  though  it  was  by 
no  means  ideal.  He  attended  the  services  regularly,  ob- 
served its  institutions,  partook  of  its  sacraments,  but  also 
tried  to  reform  its  abuses.  (3)  He  enjoyed  society,  at- 
tended feasts,  noticed  the  courtesies  of  life  when  shown 
him  (Mary)  and  when  neglected  (Simon  the  Pharisee). 
He  was  himself  an  entertainer,  feeding  5,000,  and  4,000,  and 
presiding  at  the  paschal  meal.  (4)  He  had  the  habit  of 
prayer.  He  went  to  quiet  places,  at  quiet  hours ;  often  he 
takes  disciples  with  him;  he  prayed  before  important 
events,  and  after  them  (Matt.  14:23);  he  died  praying. 
(5)  Jesus  was  an  assiduous  Bible  student.  While  he  did 
not  own  a  Bible  owing  to  the  great  expense  for  a  man  of 
our  Lord's  poverty,  yet  he  found  means  to  study  the 
word,  as  his  sayings  show.  He  knew  all  parts  of  it,  as  his 
quotations  prove ;  though  he  had  his  favorites  (e.  g.  Deut., 
Psalms,  Isa.).  He  memorized  much  of  the  O.  T.,  and  this 
enabled  him  to  use  it  more  effectively  for  defence  (ATatt. 
4  and  22),  for  inspiration,  for  guidance  in  his  work.  (6) 
He  was  industrious,  almost  strenuous,  as  a  worker,  consid- 
ering that  he  was  an  Oriental.  The  Jews  expected  a  Prince, 
but  God  decreed  that  the  Messiah  should  be  a  workingman 
— a  "tecton"  (a  house-builder,  not  a  carpenter).  He  knew, 
also,  how  to  rest.  He  often  withdrew  to  calm  his  soul  and 
urged  his  disciples  after  their  strenuous  missionary  tour 
to  "rest  a  while."  He  made  good  use  of  the  Sabbaths.  (7) 
Jesus  suffered  the  pain  of  anticipating  coming  evil  (Geth- 
semane),  and  his  sensitive  mind  felt  the  deep  shame  of  being 
mocked,  spit  in  the  face  and  of  having  a  Barabbas  preferred 
to  himself.  He  was  surely  cast  down  when  the  charge  of 
blasphemy  and  high  treason  was  made  against  him.  In  all 
this  Jesus  acquired  the  art  of  the  comforter.  (8)  The  Lord 
was  also  a  pJiilanthropist.  He  gave  alms,  and  almost  all  his 
miracles  were  works  of  mercy.  What  a  shining  example  is 
our  Lord ! 


3o8  life  of  Christ. 

VI.     The  Miracles  of  Christ. 

507.  Most  conspicuous  among  the  works  of  Christ  are 
his  miracles,  (i)  Definition.  i\  miracle  is  a  personal  inter- 
vention of  God  in  the  chain  of  cause  and  effect.  It  is  not 
the  breaking  of  the  laws  of  nature  from  without,  but  the 
working  out  in  nature  of  higher  and  permanent  laws  of  rea- 
son and  the  moral  order.  Hume,  the  English  Deist,  says : 
''A  miracle  is  no  contradiction  of  the  laws  of  cause  and 
effect ;  it  is  a  new  effect  supposed  to  be  produced  by  the 
introduction  of  a  new  cause."  (2)  Names:  works  (Greek, 
erga),  in  the  special  sense  of  the  word,  i.  e.,  immediate  acts 
of  God;  signs  (semeia),  because  they  indicate  the  real  char- 
acter of  Jesus  ;  wonders  (terata),  because  they  inspired  men 
with  amazement;  wonderful  things  (thaumasia)  ;  mighty 
works  (dynameis),  because  divine  powers  were  displayed 
in  them.  (3)  Number.  About  36,  of  which  only  eight  are 
not  miracles  of  healing.  (4)  Classification:  Miracles 
wrought  upon  nature,  and  those  on  men.  (a)  The  nature- 
miracles  were  few  (about  9),  and  are  peculiar  to  Jesus, 
proving  him  to  be  more  than  a  divine  messenger  in  a  dele- 
gated sense.  They  are  as  follows :  Change  of  Water  into 
Wine,  Draught  of  Fishes  (Lu.  4),  Tempest,  Feeding  of  the 
5,000,  Walking  on  the  Water,  Feeding  of  the  4,000,  Coin  in 
Fish's  Mouth,  Withering  of  Fig  Tree,  Draught  of  Fishes 
(Jno.  2\).  (b)  The  healing  miracles  indicate  that  Jesus 
came  to  redeem.  But  they  are  more  than  symbols  of  re- 
demption, they  are  in  themselves  part  of  his  redemptive 
work,  (c)  Another  classification  divides  them  into  miracles 
of  healing;  of  mercy  (Wine,  Tempest,  Feedings),  and  of 
instruction  (Withered  Fig  Tree,  Draught  of  Fishes),  (d) 
A  third  classification  is :  Miracles  of  nature,  of  healing,  of 
casting  out  demons,  of  raising  the  dead.  (5)  Distribution 
in  the  several  gospels,  (a)  Eleven  are  recorded  in  all 
Synoptists,  including  at  least  one  specimen  of  each  of  the 
first-named  classes.  The  rest  is  peculiar  to  one  or  more  of 
the   Synoptists.      (b)    John   records   fewer  miracles.     The 


Life  of  Christ.  309 

Feeding  of  the  5,000  he  has  in  common  with  the  Synoptists  ; 
while  those  of  Changing  Water  into  Wine,  the  Healing  of 
the  Nobleman's  Son,  the  Infirm  Man.  the  Man  Born  Blind, 
the  Raising  of  Lazarus,  the  Draught  of  Fishes,  are  peculiar 
to  him.  He  introduces  most  of  them  for  didactic  purposes, 
as  they  are  generally  followed  by  discourses.  (6)  Purpose: 
to  relieve  suffering,  to  furnish  evidence  of  Christ's  Deity 
(especially  the  nature  miracles),  to  produce  credentials  of 
his  mission  (demand  of  "signs"),  to  seal  the  truth  of  his 
revelation.  (7)  I'esfs.  The  rabbis  distinguished  true  from 
false  miracles  by  six  chief  tests :  the  object  must  be  worthy 
of  the  Divine  author,  (excludes  those  silly  miracles  of  the 
apocryphal  gospels)  ;  the  performance  must  be  public  and 
submitted  to  the  senses  for  judgment  (excludes  sorcery, 
etc.)  ;  the  mode  of  working  must  be  independent  of  second 
causes  (excludes  God's  providential  dealings)  ;  they  must 
be  attested  by  contemporaneous  evidence ;  they  must  be  re- 
corded in  some  permanent  form. 

508.  Defense  of  Christ's  Miracles.  ( i )  Their  possibil- 
ity: "Given  the  person  of  Jesus  and  it  is  more  natural  that 
he  should  than  that  he  should  not  work  miracles."  (Fair- 
bairn).  (2)  Credibility.  The  modern  scientific  conception 
of  the  universe  has  made  the  appeal  to  miracles  rather  a 
hindrance  than  a  help  to  faith.  But  this  is  rapidly  changing, 
and  the  "ages  of  true  faith"  are  yet  to  come.  Modern  con- 
ceptions of  the  order  of  nature,  of  human  personality  and 
of  the  Divine  Being  are  becoming  decidedly  friendly  to- 
ward the  Biblical  world-view,  (a)  A  clear  distinction  is 
insisted  on  between  the  unity  and  the  uniformity  of  nature. 
The  miracles  are  not  regarded  as  an  interruption  of  the 
order  of  nature,  but  as  a  revelation  of  the  infinite  extent 
of  that  order.  Ancient  and  modern  philosophy  has  always 
sought  in  the  universe  an  ultimate  unity.  Recent  discover- 
ies in  physical  science  suggest  that  matter  and  force  in 
their  infinite  forms  are  merely  different  manifestations  of 
one  single  force.  The  Bible  teaches  that  the  universe  is 
a  manifestation  of  that  Living  Will  from  which  all  things 


310  Life  of  Christ 

proceed  (Gen.  i),  and  in  which  we  live  and  move  and  have 
our  being  (Acts  17:28).  If  then  all  events  proceed  from 
one  central  intelligent  force,  miracles  are  not  violations  of 
natural  laws,  but  merely  unusual  manifestations  of  that 
Divine  will.  Unprejudiced  scientists  are  becoming  more  and 
more  averse  to  the  dogmatizing  about  the  impossibility  and 
incredibility  of  the  miracles  of  Jesus,  (b)  Modern  psy- 
chology is  showing  that  beneath  and  above  the  ordinary 
consciousness  and  powers  of  men  are  larger  powers  at  pres- 
ent uncontrolled  but  manifested  in  exceptional  phases  of 
human  life,  such  as  dreams,  hypnosis,  clairvoyance,  clair- 
audience,  somnambulism.  If  ordinary  men  can  perform 
v/onderful  feats,  what  then  may  be  expected  from  the  per- 
fect personality  of  a  God-man!  (c)  While  firmly  retain- 
ing the  belief  in  the  personality  and  transcendence  of  God, 
the  thinkers  of  the  day  conceive  of  him  more  and  more  as 
Infinite  Will  and  Intelligence  that  animates  the  whole  crea- 
tion, ever  seeking  self-realization  and  self-revelation  in  his 
creation.  This  makes  it  believable  that  this  Divine  power 
dwelt  in  its  fulness  in  Jesus  and  expressed  itself  in  the 
miracles  (Condensed  from  Hastings  D.  of  C.  II,  186).  (3) 
The  reality  of  miracles  may  be  proved  (a)  from  the  trust- 
worthiness and  intelligence  of  the  eye-witnesses,  (b)  The 
evidential  value  of  the  miraculous  element  is  not  as  strong 
to-day  as  formerly.  Once  men  believed  in  Christ  because 
they  believed  in  miracles.  Now  they  ])elieve  in  miracles 
because  they  believe  in  Christ.  They  find  miracles  the  nat- 
ural expression  of  an  extraordinary  person,  (c)  To-dav 
the  most  convincing  proof  for  Christ  and  his  miracles  is 
the  great  and  beneficial  influence  of  Jesus  on  the  world. 
(See  Ch.  53.) 

VII.     Christ  Casting  out  Demons. 

509.  This  class  of  miracles  deserves  detailed  statem.ent. 
(i)  Record  of  the  N.  T.  Connected  with  the  ministry  of 
Jesus  there  are  recorded  ten  references  to  cases  of  de- 
moniac possession;  six  are  described  in  detail  (Mark  i :  23 ; 


Life  of  Christ.  311 

5:2;  7:25;  9:25;  Matt.  9:32;  12:22);  ill  one  case  the 
name  is  given — Mary  Magdalene  (Lu.  8:2),  and  three 
general  references  (Mark  1:34;  1:39,  and  3:11).  It  is 
also  recorded  that  the  Twelve  cast  out  many  demons 
(Mark  6:  13),  and  of  the  seventy  it  is  reported  that  the 
demons  had  been  subject  to  them  (Luke  10:  17).  Mark  9: 
38  speaks  of  an  unknown  man  whom  the  disciples  found 
casting  out  demons.  (2)  The  terms  used  for  the  evil 
power  which  was  said  to  possess  the  man  are :  demon 
(Mark  1:34;  Matt.  8:31);  spirit  (Mark  9:20);  unclean 
spirit  (Mark  1:23),  and  evil  spirit  (Luke  7:21).  A  man 
is  never  said  to  have  the  devil  or  a  devil  or  Satan.  Also 
Jesus  is  charged  with  having  a  demon  (Jno.  7:20;  8:48; 
8:  52;  and  10:  20). 

510.  Gospel  Demonology.  This  may  be  briefly  sum- 
med up  thus :  ( I )  Demons  are  under  a  head,  Satan  ;  they 
form  a  kingdom.  (2)  They  are  incorporeal,  and  generally, 
though  not  necessarily,  invisible.  (3)  They  inhabit  certain 
places  which  they  prefer  to  others.  (4)  They  tend  to  live 
in  groups.  (5)  They  have  names,  and  are  sometimes  iden- 
tified with  their  victims,  at  other  times  differentiated  from 
them.  (6)  They  are  the  cause  of  mental  and  physical  dis- 
ease to  men,  women,  and  children.  (7)  They  can  pass  in 
and  out  of  men,  and  even  animals.  (8)  More  than  one 
can  take  possession  of  a  man  at  the  same  time.  (9)  Christ 
made  it  one  of  his  chief  aims  to  overthrow  this  kingdom, 
and  set  up  his  own  in  its  place.  (10)  He  cast  out  demons 
through  his  own  name,  or  by  his  word.  (11)  He  could  del- 
egate this  power,  which  was  regarded  as  something  new. 
(12)  He  never  treats  the  possessed  as  wilful  sinners,  which 
is  in  strong  contrast  to  his  words  to  the  scribes  and  Phar- 
isees, yet  they  may  have  belonged  to  the  world  rather  than 
to  God.  (13)  Only  on  the  rarest  occasions  does  he  come 
into  direct  contact  with  the  possessed.  (14)  At  his  second 
coming  the  members  of  this  kingdom  are  to  be  condemned 
to  eternal  fire  (Hastings:  Diet,  of  Christ,  vol.  J,  p.  442). 
(15)  It  was  characteristic  of  the  demoniacs  that  they  recog- 


312  /,//('  of  Christ. 

nized  Jesus  as  a  divine  being  and  supreme  power.  They 
call  him  "The  lioly  One  of  God"  (Mark  i  :  24),  "The  Son 
of  God"  (Mark  3:11),  "The  Son  of  the  Most  High  God" 
(Mark  5:7).  They  ask  whether  he  had  come  to  torment 
or  destroy  them,  thus  recognizing  his  supreme  power  (Mark 
I  :  24;  5  :  7).  Weiss  says :  "The  recognition  of  Jesus  by  the 
possessed  is  explicable  only  on  the  supposition  that  the  pos- 
sessed ones  were  really  under  the  influence  of  a  superhuman 
spiritual  power,  which  was  conscious  not  only  of  its  abso- 
lute opposition  to  the  Holy  CJne  of  God,  but  also  of  his  su- 
jjremacy  over  the  kingdom  of  evil  which  Christ  had  come  to 
destroy."  For,  surely  disease  and  sin  do  not  clarify  the 
vision  for  the  recognition  of  the  divine  and  give  a  clearer 
insight  into  the  character  of  Jesus  than  the  disciples  had. 

511.  Interpretation  of  the  Phenomena:  Arguments 
against  the  reality  of  demoniacal  possession  ( i  )  all  the 
New  Testament  cases  were  due  to  natural  causes;  (2)  the 
New.  Testament  writers  shared  the  common  belief  of  their 
age;  (3)  this  belief,  like  that  in  witchcraft,  disappears  be- 
fore the  growth  of  better  knowledge;  (4)  the  symptoms 
mentioned  in  the  New  Testament  can  be  paralleled  in  the 
insanity  and  epilepsy  of  the  present  day;  (5)  insanity  con- 
stantly tends  to  take  forms  suggested  by  popular  beliefs ; 
and  (6)  either  Jesus  shared  the  superstition  of  his  time,  or 
as  to-day  skilful  physicians  for  the  insane  humor  their 
fancies,  so  Christ  by  addressing  these  unfortunates  from 
their  point  of  view  adopted  the  most  effective  way  of  stimu- 
lating their  faith  in  his  own  power  to  heal. 

Arguments  in  favor  of  their  reality  :  ( i )  The  words  and 
deeds  of  Christ  in  connection  with  miracles  of  this  class 
clearly  imply  the  real  existence  of  the  demons  whom  he 
claimed  to  cast  out ;  in  many  cases,  indeed,  they  would 
otherwise  be  meaningless  (see  Mk.  2,'--3-~7',  5:8-13)  ;  (2) 
an  actual  demoniacal  possession  in  these  instances  cannot 
be  denied  without  assuming  that  Christ  either  shared  the 
ignorance  of  his  time  or  accommodated  himself  to  it.  either 
of   which   supposition   is  held   to  be   inconsistent   with   his 


Life  of  CJirist.  313 

divine  character.  If  Jesus  knew  better,  why  did  he  not 
tell  the  disciples  the  truth  in  private.  (3)  The  words  of 
the  demoniacs  indicate  a  knowledge  of  Jesus  as  the  Son  of 
God,  and  a  moral  recoil  from  him,  that  cannot  be  explained 
on  the  theory  of  mere  disease;  (4)  the  Gospels  clearly  dis- 
tinguish between  diseases  which  were  demoniacal  and  those 
which  were  not,  showing  that  the  writers  did  not  blindly 
attribute  all  kinds  of  evil  to  demons  (Matt.  4:  23,  24;  Mk. 
1 :  34.  etc.).  (5)  It  is  no  more  difficult  to  understand  how 
an  evil  spirit  can  enter  into  a  man  and  control  him  than  to 
understand  how  the  Holy  Spirit  can  enter  into  a  man, 
though  both  are  not  exactly  the  same.  (6)  It  is  probable 
that  some  extraordinary  manifestation  of  Satan  should  ac- 
company the  extraordinary  manifestation  of  God  in  Christ. 
Jesus  came  to  destroy  the  works  of  Satan  and  it  was  nat- 
ural that  Satan  should  make  special  efforts  to  counteract 
the  influence  of  Jesus.  (7)  To  ignore  the  difference  be- 
tween Gospel  demonology  and  popular  superstition  in  spite 
of  similarity,  is  most  unscientific.  There  is  the  contrast 
between  folly  and  seriousness ;  the  Gospel  demonology  is  in 
close  connection  with  the  subject  of  sin.  The  Gospels 
ascribe  the  cause  to  sin,  and  we  to  "natural  causes."  But 
may  not  the  principle  of  evil  be  the  deeper  cause  and  ex- 
plain both  theories.  Much  that  was  formerly  ascribed  to 
the  first  cause  (good  or  evil)  is  now  ascribed  to  second 
causes,  the  forces  in  nature.  No  one  may  positively  and 
safely  assert  what  even  now  is.  or  is  not,  the  connection  of 
supernatural  beings  with  those  mental  and  physical  diseases, 
whose  seat  is  in  moral  obliquity  of  will  (Robinson,  Christian 
Theology,  p.  115).  (8)  Modern  psychology  has  revealed 
to  us  how  extremely  little  we  know  "of  secondary  person- 
ality," the  "subliminal  self,"  "change  of  control,"  etc. — in 
a  word,  how  hidden  still  are  the  secrets  of  the  region  of  the 
supersensuous,  and  how  careful  science  should  be  to  dog- 
matize (Hastings  D.  of  C.  II,  p.  443). 

For  these  reasons,  the  majority  of  recent  interpreters  feel 
constrained  to  admit  the  reality  of  demoniac  possession  in 


3^4  Life  of  Chrisr. 

the  time  of  Christ,  althougli  denying  tliat  such  possessions 
in  that  age  necessarily  involves  the  reality  of  similar  pos- 
sessions in  other  ages.  Yet  from  missionaries  in  China  and 
other  lands  it  is  learned  that  diseases  closely  resembling 
the  cases  of  possession  recorded  in  the  New  Testament  are 
frequently  met  with,  and  are  often  cured  by  native  Chris- 
tian ministers.  And  Dr.  Strong  (Syst.  Theol.  p.  229)  writes: 
The  network  of  influences  which  support  the  papacy,  spir- 
itualism, modern  unbelief,  is  difficult  of  explanation,  unless 
we  believe  in  a  superhuman  intelligence  which  organizes 
these  forces  against  God.  In  these,  as  well  as  in  heathen 
religions,  there  are  facts  inexplicable  upon  merely  natural 
principles  of  disease  or  delusion. 

VIII.     Jesus  Our  King. 

512.  A  description  of  Christ's  work  without  mentioning 
his  Kingship  would  be  incomplete.  But  the  truth  that  Jesus 
is  King  has  been  so  plainly  and  extensively  emphasized  in 
the  preceding  pages  that  a  brief  reference  on  this  great  sub- 
ject will  suffice.  The  Messiah  was  to  be  a  king,  and  the 
Lord  claimed  the  royal  title  and  function,  even  before  Pi- 
late. The  superscription  over  his  cross  was  prophetic.  His 
miracles  prove  his  kingly  power ;  in  his  teaching  he  re- 
peals worn  out  laws,  interprets  old  laws  and  enacts  new 
ones.  As  a  reformer,  he  cleansed  the  temple.  Modern 
Christians  cannot  emphasize  too  much  the  Kingship  of 
Jesus.  The  welfare  of  our  nation  depends  on  our  submis- 
sion to  his  rule.  The  laws  of  Christ,  little  by  little,  must  be 
made  the  laws  of  business  and  politics  and  pleasure;  of 
the  city,  the  state,  the  nation,  the  world. 

IX.     The  Death  of  Christ. 

513.  The  death  of  Jesus  is  viewed  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment as  the  culmination  of  his  redemptive  zvork.  He  is 
active  in  it.  He  laid  down  his  life  by  an  act  of  his  own 
will,  and  on  Easter  he  took  it  again.  For  these  reasons, 
some  hold  that  Christ's  death  was  not  due  to  any  physical 


Life  of  Christ.  315 

cause,  but  was  a  voluntary  act.  Hence  Christ  on  the  cross 
was  not  a  mere  martyr  suffering  what  others  had  inflicted 
on  him,  but  he  was  paying,  as  he  himself  said,  a  ransom, 
the  price  due  for  the  release  of  mankind  from  bondage,  and 
to  alter  the  relation  of  God  to  sinners.  He  did  not  make 
God  love  men,  for  this  God  had  always  done,  but  the  ran- 
som removed  an  obstacle  to  the  free  outflow  of  the  Divine 
love.  With  the  fragments  of  the  paschal  lamb  before  him, 
he  speaks  of  his  death  as  a  substitute  for  others.  In  Jno.  12  : 
24  he  speaks  of  the  motive  that  actuated  him,  and  the  result 
he  wall  gain  by  his  death.  One  entire  book,  the  epistle  to 
the  Hebrews  has  been  written  to  exalt  the  death  of  Jesus 
as  his  greatest  redemptive  act.  The  Lord's  death  belongs 
therefore  to  his  works. 

514.  Reference  Literature.  On  the  Plan  of  Jesus:  Liddon,  Di- 
vinity of  our  L.  p.  100 ;  Newman,  Church  H.  I.,  72 ;  Zoeckler,  Theol. 
Wissenschaften,  I,  497;  Lange,  Life  of  C,  I,  364;  Neander,  p.  jt,; 
Edersheim,  I,  291;  Ullman,  Sinlessness  of  C,  p.  264;  Dawson,  L. 
of  C.  p.  70;  Speer,  The  Man  Christ  Jesus,  p.  28;  Bishop,  Jes.  the 
Worker,  p.  225 ;  Schmid,  Theol.  Classiker,  Vol.  42,  p.  84 ;  Stalker,  L. 
of  C.  p.  25;  Barth,  Hauptprobleme,  p.  32;  Hast.  D.  of  C.  on  Plan,  II, 
369;  on  offices  of  C,  II,  263;  Mission  of  C,  II,  191;  Godet,  Work 
of  C.  (in  N.  T.  Studies). 

Christ  as  a  Teacher.  Burrell,  Wonderful  Teacher ;  Dalman, 
Worte  Jesu;  Briggs,  Eth.,  Teaching  of  Jesus;  Mathews,  Soc. 
Teaching  of  J. ;  Spurgeon,  Pred.  ueber  die  Gleichnisse ;  Wendt, 
Teach,  of  J. ;  Gilbert,  Revel,  of  J. ;  Trumbull,  on  Jewish  Teaching 
in  his  Yale  Lect.  on  S.  Sch. ;  J.  the  Supreme  Tea.  in  Maclaren's 
Mind  of  the  Master ;  Smith,  N.  T.  Hist,  on  Parab.  p.  283 ;  origin 
of  parables,  in  Juelisher,  Gleichnisse,  p.  149 ;  Stoecker,  Leben  Jes ; 
Hast.  D.  of  C.  on  Parables,  H,  312;  O.  T.  Quotat.,  II,  464;  Teach. 
of  Jes.,  II,  699;  Popularity  II,  381;  Jes.  and  Hillel,  Excur.  HI,  in 
Farrar's  Life  of  C. ;  N.  T.  Theol.  by  Sheldon  Oosterzee,  Stevens, 
Beyschlag,  Weidner,  Weiss,  Gould ;  Charles,  Jes.  Eschatol ;  Heuver, 
Teach,  of  Jes.  Concerning  Wealth;  Newman,  Ch.  Hist.  I,  74;  Pa- 
romia,  Hist.  D.  C,  11,  S21 ;  on  Phar.  quibbles  as  to  the  Sabbath, 
see  Dawson,  Life  of  C,  p.  75 ;  Hitchcock,  Psych,  of  J.  on  the 
World  View  of  Jesus;  Peine,  Theol.  des  N.  T. 

Jesus  Our  B.vample.  Stalker,  Imago  Christi ;  Clarke,  Ideal  of 
Jes.;  Blakie,  Publ.  Min.  p.  256;  Hast.  D.  of  C,  on  example  I,  155; 


3i6  Life  of  Christ. 

on  Ideal,  I,  767;  on  C.  Ministry,  II,  184;  on  Jcs.  C.  Davis,  D.  B. 
p.  364;  Walker,  Jes.  and  His  Surroundings. 

On  the  Miracles.  Bruce,  Mir.  Element  in  the  Gos.  Steinmeyer, 
Mir.  of  our  Lord;  W.  M.  Taylor,  Mir.  of  J.;  Modern  Negat.  of 
Mir.  in  Christlicb,  Mod.  Doubt,  p.  285;  Barth,  Hauptprobleme,  p. 
106;  Beth.  Das  Wunder;  Spurg.  Pred.  ucber  die  Wunder;  Trench, 
Notes  on  the  Mir. ;  Jefferson,  in  "Things  Fundamental,"  p.  191 ; 
Smith,  N.  T.  Hist.,  p.  211 ;  Davis,  D.  B.,  p.  481  ;  Herzog,  Realencycl. 
Hast.  D.  C,  II,  186,  on  Accommodation,  i,  15;  and  Sanford's  End.; 
Hast.  D.  B.,  II,  624;   HI,,  379- 

0)1  the  Demons.  Alexander,  Demoniac  Poss. ;  Nevin's  Dem. 
Poss.  and  Allied  Themes;  Encyc.  Brit.;  Hast.  D.  C.  I,  438;  and 
Sanford,  Encyc. 

On  Christ's  Death.  Mabie,  Divine  Reason  of  the  Cross ;  Stevens, 
Doctr.  of  Salv.  p.  53;  Med.  Work  of  C,  in  Chas.  Hodge,  Syst. 
Theol.,  II,  455;  Denney,  Death  of  C. ;  Crawford,  Atonement;  A.  A. 
Hodge,  Atonement ;  Bushnell,  Vicarious  Sacrif. ;  Steinmeyer,  Pas- 
sion of  C. ;  Hast.  D.  of  C,  II.  793 ;  and  On  Atonement,  I,  132 ; 
Physical  Cause  of  Christ's  Death  by  Dr.  Stroudt  (in  Hanna,  Last 
Days,  p.  323)  ;  Bibl.  Ideas  of  Atonement,  by  Burton  and  Smith. 

CHAPTER  52. 

Chief  Problems  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

515.  The  scientific  study  of  the  Hfe,  the  character  and 
the  work  of  Christ  has  given  rise  to  a  number  of  problems, 
that  is,'  to  questions  proposed  for  solution  (pro-ballo,  to 
throw  before).  Some  of  them  are  of  minor  importance, 
as,  for  example,  the  chronology  of  the  life  of  Christ,  his 
true  relation  to  the  men  called  his  "brethren,"  the  right 
place  of  certain  events  in  his  life,  etc.  But  there  are  three 
problems  which  involve  the  very  essence  of  Christianity 
and  of  which  a  text-book  of  this  character  should  therefore 
take  cognizance.  These  are  the  problems  of  the  incarnation, 
of  Christ's  self-consciousness,  and  of  his  resurrection. 

I.     The  Incarnation  of  Christ. 

516.  Its  true  meaning,  (a)  It  does  not  mean  that 
an  entirely  new  being,  which  had  not  existed  before,  was 


Life  of  Christ.  317 

created  nineteen  hundred  years  ago,  a  person  of  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  was  the  father  and  Mary  the  mother.  It  does 
mean  that  a  divine  person  who  had  existed  from  all  eternity, 
assumed  a  human  body  and  a  reasonable  soul.  "The  Word 
became  flesh,"  Jno.  1:14  (Latin:  in-caro,  enters  into  the 
flesh).  The  first  supposition  could  be  called  a  true  in- 
carnation, but  Christ's  incarnation  is  not  thus  taught  in  the 
New  Testament,  (b)  It  does  not  mean  that  Jesus  was  born 
like  any  other  man  of  the  union  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  but 
with  such  unusually  large  capacity  for  divine  things  that  he 
developed  into  a  marvel  of  history,  soaring  far  above  every 
other  man  ever  born.  Those  who  hold  to  his  view  never 
tire  of  speaking  of  Christ's  general  "divinity,"  but  they  deny 
his  essential  Deity,  (c)  It  does  not  mean  a  generic  or  uni- 
versal or  ideal  incarnation  as  over  against  personal,  indi- 
vidual incarnation.  The  advocates  of  this  theory  say,  God 
is  in  the  world  and  comes  to  consciousness  and  expression 
in  every  great  moral  character  who  has  helped  to  develop 
the  idea  of  human  perfection  and  introduced  new  powers. 
Jesus  was  one  of  the  greatest.  It  does  mean  that  Christ 
was  conceived  of  the  very  essence  of  God,  "very  God  of 
very  God.''     (Nicene  Creed.) 

517.  Mode  of  the  Incarnation,  ( i)  There  are  two  pas- 
sages, Matt.  1 :  18-25  and  Lk.  i  :  26-37,  which  are  very  ex- 
plicit and  clear  as  to  its  mode  (see  Ch.  11).  The  announce- 
ment to  Mary  was  necessary  to  relieve  her  of  any  perplex- 
ity when  her  physical  condition  appeared,  and  that  to  Jo- 
seph, in  order  to  confirm  the  astounding  account  given  him 
by  Mary.  (2)  The  other  New  Testament  writers  assume 
these  narratives.  John  says,  "The  word  became  flesh,"  and 
Paul  in  Phil.  2 :  6  teaches  Christ's  pre-existence,  in  Gal.  4 : 
4,  his  human  birth,  and  in  i  Cor.  15:47  he  means  to  say 
that  as  God  was  in  a  special  manner  active  in  the  birth  of 
the  first  Adam,  so  also  in  that  of  the  second.  (3)  Because 
Paul  does  not  explicitly  repeat  the  narrative  of  the  super- 
natural conception  it  has  been  argued  that  he  did  not  know 
anything  about  it,  and  that  consequently,  it  was  not  a  part 


3i8  Life  of  Christ. 

of  the  faith  of  primitive  Christianity;  or,  he  did  know  of  it, 
but  did  not  accept  it,  and  therefore  did  not  teach  it.  An- 
swer: It  it  a  rule  of  the  law  of  argumentation  that  the 
argument  from  silence  must  not  be  pressed  too  far.  This 
is  essentially  true  in  Paul's  case  because  (a)  his  epis- 
tles are  silent  on  almost  all  the  facts  of  Christ's  life,  as  he 
assumed  their  knowledge  from  the  constant  oral  teaching; 
(b)  we  have  after  all  very  little  literature  from  Paul;  (c) 
the  evangelist  who  stood  nearest  to  Paul,  Luke,  contains 
the  fullest  account  of  the  mode  of  Christ's  incarnation.  (4) 
This  method  of  the  incarnation  was  essential  (a)  because 
the  Saviour  of  mankind  was  to  be  the  embodiment  of  God's 
eternal  nature,  while  the  ordinary  process  of  generation  is 
the  beginning  of  a  new  personality,  (b)  because  only  a 
real  incarnation  guarantees  the  sinless  perfection  of  Christ. 
Gabriel  brings  these  two  ideas  into  their  logical  relation  by 
saying:  "The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee — therefore 
also  that  which  is  to  be  born  shall  be  called  holy."  What  is 
born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh.  Anyone  born  into  the  full  solid- 
arity of  the  human  race  shares  the  taint  of  sin;  (c)  only  a 
physical  incarnation  makes  the  moral  miracle  of  a  sinless 
man  on  earth  believable;  (d)  Christ  was  destined  to  mark 
a  new  departure  in  human  life  and  history — he  was  the 
new  Adam  giving  a  new  starting  point ;  (e)  this  mode  of 
the  incarnation  makes  faith  in  the  real  Deity  of  Christ 
easier,  because  it  makes  the  two  natures  in  Christ's  per- 
sonality plainer  than  the  idea  of  the  deification  of  a  mere 
man;  (f)  how,  when,  where  and  in  what  sense  the  divine 
element  was  joined  with  the  human  is  as  yet  a  mystery. 

518.  Purpose  of  the  Incarnation.  On  this  there  are 
two  views  both  appealing  to  the  Scripture  for  confirmation : 
(a)  it  was  necessary  to  secure  a  complete  communion  with 
God.  The  incarnation  was  no  afterthought,  conditioned  by 
man's  fall.  Man  could  not  have  realized  the  full  possibil- 
ities of  his  nature,  and  no  development  could  have  brought 
a  true  knowledge  of  God  without  God  coming  personally 
among  us,  for  not  only  man's  sinfulness,  but  also  his  lim- 


Life  of  Christ.  319 

itations  stand  in  his  way,  (b)  it  was  necessary  for  the  re- 
demption of  the  human  race.  When  man  fell  the  incarna- 
tion became  inevitable.  The  first  view  is  speculative  and 
based  on  inferences,  while  the  latter  view  is  clearly  ex- 
pressed in  the  Cible  (Jno.  3:  16). 

519.  Objections  to  the  Incarnation  Answered,  (i) 
The  New  Testament  reports  embody  a  myth,  i.  e.  in  a  poeti- 
cal form  they  express  the  great  truth  that  the  divine  has 
come  in  closest  contact  v.'ith  man  (Strauss  and  many  oth- 
ers). Answer:  (a)  Myths  take  a  long  time  to  form,  while 
our  documents  are  very  near  as  to  date  to  the  fact  recorded, 
(b)  No  such  myth  could  have  originated  among  the  Jews, 
because  the  very  idea  of  a  supernatural  conception  is  en- 
tirely foreign  to  the  prevailing  Jewish  modes  of  thought. 
Wherefore  the  Jewish-Christian  sect,  the  Ebionites,  went 
so  far  even  as  to  omit  the  section  which  contained  the  rec- 
ord from  the  Ebionitish  copy  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Hebrews. 
Obj.  (2)  :  The  birth  story  of  Jesus  has  arisen  like  similar 
stories  of  the  birth  of  heroes,  such  as  those  of  Buddha  and 
Zoroaster.  x'Xnswer:  (a)  it  is  asserted  by  some  that  the 
stories  about  Buddha  and  Zoroaster  are  post-Christian  imi- 
tations, (b)  at  any  rate  the  pagan  myths  of  Divine  incarna- 
tions are  not  the  source  of  the  New  Testament  record,  but 
a  providential  though  unconscious  preparation  for  the  real 
incarnation,  a  prophetic  instinct  molding  the  forms  of 
thought  in  which  it  v/as  to  find  expression.  Obj.  (3)  :  If 
such  events  had  really  preceded  the  birth  of  Christ,  his  own 
relatives  would  have  been  better  disposed  to  recognize  him 
as  the  Messiah.  Anszver.  It  is  very  probable  that  these  facts 
were  kept  from  his  relatives.  This,  together  with  the  thirty 
years  of  obscure  life  in  Nazareth,  in  which  Jesus  made  no 
claims  to  be  the  Messiah,  was  sufficient  to  account  for  his 
brother's  unbelief.  As  for  Mary,  she  never  lost  the  memory 
of  her  experiences,  and  at  the  marriage  in  Cana  she  confi- 
dently expected  a  miracle  immediately  after  the  proclama- 
tion of  her  son's  Messiahship  by  John  the  Baptist.  Obj. 
(4)  :  Jesus  is  repeatedly  called  the  "Son  of  Joseph."     An- 


320  Life  of  Christ. 

sivcr.  (i)  Reserve  kept  Alary  from  making  public  the  de- 
tails of  her  son's  birth  (hiring  his  life  on  earth.  Jesus  also 
kept  silence  as  it  would  have  invited  calumny,  which  it  did 
later,  as  seen  in  the  Talmud.  Hence  even  the  apostles  may 
not  have  known  the  facts  until  later.  The  obvious  meaning 
is  that  Joseph  was  Jesus'  foster  father.  The  same  Gospel 
which  speaks  of  his  miraculous  conception,  calls  Joseph 
Christ's  reputed  father  (Lu.  3:23).  Obj.  (5):  These 
stories  are  the  outgrowth  of  the  belief  in  Christ's  Deity  and 
a  conclusion  drawn  from  the  doctrine  of  the  sinlessness  of 
Jesus.  Answer:  Both  Paul  and  John  teach  emphatically 
the  sinlessness  of  Jesus,  and  yet  are  silent  on  this  mode  of 
the  incarnation.  This  proves  that  the  primitive  church  did 
not  believe  in  the  miraculous  conception  simply  because  it 
considered  it  an  absolute  condition  to  the  belief  in  a  divine 
and  sinless  being,  but  because  the  doctrine  was  true.  Obj. 
(6).  Science  maintains  that  conception  without  a  human  fa- 
ther is  a  physiological  impossibility.  Ansiver.  This  is  one 
of  the  assertions  based  on  the  belief  in  the  infallibility  and 
omniscience  of  "science  "  Huxley,  in  his  famous  letter  on 
l^arthenogenesis,  and  Prof.  Romane,  both  agnostics,  concede 
the  possibility  of  a  virgin  birth  on  scientific  grounds. 

II.     The  Self-Consciousness  of  Christ. 

The  problem  is,  v^ho  did  Jesus  consider  himself  to  be? 
Our  sources  answer  clearly  and  distinctly :  he  was  conscious 
of  being  (a)  the  Messiah,  (b)  the  Son  of  Man,  (c)  the 
Son  of  God. 

520.  Jesus  the  Messiah.  ( 1 )  This  was  the  official  title 
by  which  the  Jews  designated  the  promised  deliverer.  The 
name  means  "the  Anointed,"  and  was  applied  to  the  "com- 
ing one"  (Matt.  11:2)  because  he  was  believed  to  be  a  great 
king,  and  as  the  king  was  anointed  with  oil,  so  the  Messiah 
would  be  anointed  by  the  Spirit.  Jesus  declared  himself 
to  be  the  Messiah,  to  the  Samaritan  woman  (Jno.  4:25, 
26)  ;  at  Nazareth  (Lu.  4:8)  ;  in  his  answer  to  the  Baptist 
(Malt.   11:5);  to  the  ruler.;   (Jno.   10:  24,  25 )  ;  at  Cesarea 


Life  of  Christ.  321 

Philippi  (Matt.  16),  on  Palm  Sunday  (Matt.  21),  before 
the  Jewish  and  Roman  courts  (Matt.  26:64;  J^'^o-  18:37). 
The  Lord's  self-designation,  "Son  of  Man"  is  also  an  allu- 
sion to  his  Messiahship.  (2)  He  openly  or  tacitly  accepted 
the  title  when  suggested  by  others  (Lu.  19),  and  whenever 
he  was  tentatively  or  directly  addressed  as  "Son  of  David," 
which  was  one  of  the  Messianic  titles.  (3)  The  Greek 
translation  of  Messiah,  "Christ,"  is  therefore  the  name 
which,  with  the  exception  of  his  birth-name,  "Jesus"  (Sav- 
iour), has  clung  most  firmly  in  the  memory  of  the  world. 
(4)  It  was  originally  a  title,  "the  Christ,"  but  already  in  the 
N.  T.  it  became  a  proper  name  without  the  article. 

521.  The  Son  of  Man.  (i)  But  Messiah  being  a  title 
of  office,  the  next  question  arises,  what  did  Jesus  think  con- 
cerning his  real  nature?  This  is  shown  by  his  self-desig- 
nations :  Son  of  Man  and  Son  of  God  or  merely,  the  Son. 
(2)  The  phrase  "Son  of  Man"  was  never  applied  to  Jesus 
by  the  evangelists  or  other  persons,  but  is  the  Lord's  favor- 
ite self-designation  (Matt.  8:20;  11:19;  ^^-  13-26;  Lu. 
5:24).  (3)  It  occurs  in  Matt.  32  times,  in  Mk.  15,  in 
Luke  25,  in  John  12  times.  (4)  Origin:  Jesus  did  not  in- 
vent the  term  but  took  it  from  Dan.  7:  13.  It  is  used  in 
the  O.  T.  (a)  to  express  in  poetical  form  a  person's  con- 
nection with  humanity  and  simply  means,  "a  man";  (b)  to 
contrast  human  weakness  and  dependence  with  divine  in- 
dependence and  power  (Ps.  8:4;  Ezek.  2:1;  3:1).  (5) 
Why  did  Jesus  choose  it  as  his  favorite  from  many  other 
names  offered  in  the  O.  T.  ?  (a)  It  intimated  his  pre-ex- 
istence  since  the  figure  in  Daniel  was  in  fellowship  with 
the  Ancient  of  days  before  descending  to  earth;  (b)  as  it 
became  gradually  a  designation  for  the  Messiah  (Book  of 
Enoch,  37-71),  it  suited  his  purpose  of  concealing  his 
Messianic  claims,  while  it  expressed  them  to  himself  and 
hinted  at  them  to  others,  (c)  But  while  it  implies  his  hu- 
manity, it  implies  also  his  consciousness  of  a  unique,  a 
representative  relation  to  the  entire  human  race.  In  him 
the  race,  alike  in  its  actual  lowliness  and  weakness  and  in 


322  Life  of  Christ. 

its  sublime  dignity  and  destiny,  finds  its  supreme  manifesta- 
tion. "He  was  the  ideal  man  who  made  real  the  ideal  of 
humanity."     (Neander.) 

522.     Christ  the  Son  of  God,     ( i )  This  is  a  designation 
of  Jesus  used  more  frequently  by  others  than  by  himself, 
and  oftener  in  the  fourth  gospel  than  in  the  synoptics.     (2) 
Jesus  did  not  invent  the  phrase  but  either  received  it  from 
the  Father  at  his  baptism  and  transfiguration,  or  adopted  it 
from  the  Old  Testament  where  it  occurs  frequently.     (3) 
It  has  a  wide  range  of  application  in  both  Testaments.     In 
the  Old  Testament  the   phrase  was  variously  applied  to 
angels  (Job  1:6),  to  men  (Ps.  82:  6;  Hos.  i :  10),  and  to 
Israel  (Ex.  4:22;  Jer.  31:9).    The  theoratic  king  as  rep- 
resenting the   Messianic   idea    (see   "Messiah")    was   also 
called  the  "Son"  of  God  (Ps.  2:7).    In  all  these  cases  those 
upon  whom  the  title  was  bestowed  were   regarded  as  in 
some  degree  representatives  of  the  majesty  and  authority 
of  Jehovah.    In  this  sense  the  term  "Son  of  God"  came  into 
common  use  before  our  Lord's  time  as  an  equivalent  for 
"Messiah"  or  "Christ,"  he  being  looked  upon  as  the  supreme 
representative  of   God.      (4)    Four  times  Jesus  explicitly 
proclaims  himself  the  "Son  of  God";  to  the  man  born  blind 
(John  9:37),  to  the  Jews  at  the  feast  of  the  dedication 
(John  10:37),  and  at  the  night  and  morning  trials  before 
the  Sanhedrin  he  did  so  under  oath.     (5)   He  called  him- 
self "the  Son,"  especially  in  the  famous  passage  Matthew 
II :  25-27,  and  in  many  other  places,  as  John  5 :  25 ;  10:  36; 
11:4.     (6)  Jcsiis  accepted  the  title  "Son  of  God"  when  ap- 
plied to  him  by  others ;  twice  by  Peter  who  called  him  "the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God"   (John  6:69,  and  Matt.  16:16) 
by   Nathaniel,  by  the  apostles  and   Martha    (John   i :  49 
Matthew  14:33;  John  11:37;  even  by  demons   (Matt.  8 
29;  Mark  3:  11).    Jesus  is  addressed  "Son"  by  the  Father 
at  his  baptism  and  transfiguration.      (7)    Jesus  indirectly 
claims  Sonship  by  calling  God  "Father,"  in  Matthew  and 
its  parallels  twenty-one  times  and  more  than  one  hundred 
times  in  John.     In  Lu.  23 :  46  Jesus  quotes  from  the  O.  T., 


Life  of  Christ.  323 

but  adds  very  significantly  the  address,  "Father."  (8)  In 
all  the  gospels  Jesus  carefully  distinguishes  his  own  unique 
Sonship  from  that  of  his  disciples.  He  speaks  constantly  of 
"my  Father"  and  "your  Father,"  but  never  of  "our  Father." 
(9)  That  Jesus  was  known  to  claim  divine  Sonship  is  in- 
directly shown  by  the  fact  that  Satan  (Matthew  4:  3)  ;  the 
centurion  (Mark  15  :  39)  ;  the  malefactor  and  the  evangelists 
(Mark  1:1;  John  3:18;  20:31)  apply  that  title  to  him. 
(Lu.  2:49;  Matt.  7:  21 ;  10:  32;  15:  13:  16:  17).  The  most 
intense  consciousness  of  this  unique  relationship  to  God  is 
expressed  in  Matt.  11 :  25  ;  Luke  10:  21. 

523.  Definition  of  the  title  "Son  of  God."  (i)  In 
which  sense  did  Jesus  apply  the  name  "Son  of  God"  to 
himself?  No  doubt  in  the  literal  sense.  That  Jesus  was 
conscious  of  being  the  "Son  of  God"  as  to  his  very  essence 
is  clear  from  the  following  passages :  he  claims  personal 
pre-existence  (John  8:56-58),  sinless  perfection  (John  8: 
29-46),  he  makes  attachment  to  his  person  the  imperative 
condition  of  salvation  (Matt.  28:19),  he  required  of  men 
a  faith  he  never  exercised;  he  forgives  sin  and  offers  rest 
for  the  soul  (Matt.  11 :  28),  he  frequently  claims  to  be  the 
supreme  and  final  revealer  of  truth  sweeping  away  whole 
pages  of  the  Mosaic  legislation,  his  last  claim  is  "All  power 
is  given  unto  me,"  co-ordinating  himself  with  the  Father 
(Matt  28).  There  are  also  remarkable  utterances  in  con- 
nection with  his  miracles,  such  as  "be  thou  clean"  and 
"peace  be  still,"  modeled  after  the  words  of  Divine  com- 
mand at  the  creation  "Let  there  be  light."  These  and  many 
other  considerations  show  that  Jesus'  Sonship  was  more 
than  ethical ;  i.  e.  being  in  harmony  in  mind  and  will  with 
the  purposes  of  God;  it  was  also  metaphysical  (supernat- 
ural, one  in  essence).  It  was  indeed  profoundly  ethical 
just  because  it  was  metaphysical.  For  ethical  unity  becomes 
less  possible  the  farther  any  two  beings  are  metaphysically 
separated  from  each  other  (as  e.  g.  man  and  beast),  while 
coequality  of  nature  makes  ethical  harmony  less  difficult 
(husband  and  wife).     Even  Mark   13:2,   which  is  often 


324  Life  of  Christ. 

quoted  to  refute  Christ's  metaphysical  Sonship,  clearly 
specifies  four  classes  of  being: — that  of  men,  of  angels,  of 
the  Son,  of  God — evidently  emphasizing  that  the  Son  is 
above  angels  and  men  and  nearest  to  God.  The  not- 
knowing  is  limited  to  his  incarnate  life  when  the  son  "emp- 
tied" himself  of  some  of  his  divine  attributes — a  great  mys- 
tery (Phil.  2:7).  All  this  is  confirmed  by  the  message  of 
the  Father  through  Gabriel  who  calls  the  child  the  Son  of 
God,  not  because  he  is  to  be  the  Messiah,  but  because  of 
the  derivation  of  his  human  nature  from  the  special  crea- 
tive act  of  God.  Jesus  is  to  be  the  Son  of  God  in  such  a 
sense  as  to  be  without  an  earthly  father.  (Lu.  i :  35).  (2) 
How  did  others  apply  the  term  "Son  of  God"  to  Jesus? 
(a)  At  Cesarea  Philippi  Peter  proclaimed  his  faith  in  the 
Lord's  Messiahship  and  his  Deity  (Matt.  16:  16)  ;  for  the 
second  phrase  is  not  only  a  variation  of  the  first,  without 
the  addition  of  anything  new.  Here  Peter  places  Jesus 
above  the  Baptist,  Elijah  and  the  prophets  who  were  all 
sons  by  adoption,  (b)  The  Sanhedrin  understood  Jesus  to 
claim  deity  at  his  night  and  morning  trials.  For  if  his  claim 
to  be  the  "Son  of  God"  implied  nothing  more  than  a  human 
messiahship  wherein  consisted  the  blasphemy?  (Matt.  26: 
63 ;  Ln.  22 :  66)  ;  the  high  priest  would  not  and  could  not 
have  condemned  him  for  claiming  a  prerogative  common  to 
all  pious  Israelites,  (c)  John  5:18  and  10:33  says  that 
the  Jews  understood  Jesus  to  claim  equality  with  God.  (d) 
The  church  at  the  earliest  date  fixed  upon  the  name  "Son 
of  God"  or  even  "God"  to  express  its  sense  of  the  unique- 
ness of  her  Lord's  nature  (Acts  9:20;  Rom.  1:4;  9:15; 
Gal.  2:20;  Eph.  4:13;  Heb.  4:14;  i  Jno.  4:15;  Rev.  2: 
18).  (e)  The  conclusion  is  inevitable:  Christ  was  not  a 
man  aspiring  to  be  a  God,  but  God,  condescending  to  be  a 
man.  The  world  admires  Christ's  singular  perfection  which 
arises,  by  almost  universal  consent  even  of  unbelievers,  so 
far  above  every  human  greatness  ever  known,  that  it  can 
only  be  rationally  explained  on  the  ground  of  such  an  essen- 
tial union  with  the  Godhead  as  he  claimed  himself  and  his 


Life  of  Christ.  325 

apostles  ascribed  to  him.  (f)  At  what  time  Christ's  self- 
consciousness  of  being  the  Son  of  God  broke  through,  and 
how  rapidly  it  developed  we  do  not  know.  Time  and  cir- 
cumstances acted  on  Christ  as  they  do  on  all  men,  widening 
the  horizon  of  knowledge  and  making  clear  the  path  of  duty. 
(See  §499-) 

III.     The  Resurrection  of  Christ. 

524.  (i)  The  problem  is,  in  what  sense  did  Christ  rise 
from  the  dead?  (2)  The  N.  T.  sources  are  unanimous  in 
recording  the  fact  that  on  the  third  day  after  the  Lord's 
death  his  friends  found  the  tom.b  empty;  that  Christ  ap- 
peared to  them  ten  times  during  a  period  of  forty  days,  and 
that  thus  was  created  in  their  hearts  the  firm  faith  in 
their  Lord's  bodily  resurrection  and  ascension.  (3)  This 
conviction  among  Christians  was  not  a  slow  growth  spread 
over  a  long  period,  but  dates  from  the  very  morning  of  the 
resurrection  itself.  And  no  difficulty  of  weaving  the  sep- 
arate incidents  into  an  orderly  narrative  and  of  other  minor 
details  has  ever  succeeded  in  impugning  the  unanimous  be- 
lief of  the  Church  which  lies  behind  the  reports,  that  Christ 
rose  and  appeared  to  the  disciples. 

525.  Evidential  Value  of  Christ's  Resurrection,  (i) 
It  establishes  the  Divine  character  of  Jesus;  (2)  it  sets 
God's  seal  to  Christ's  teaching;  (3)  it  proves  the  possibility 
and  actuality  of  life  beyond  the  grave ;  (4)  it  certifies  our 
own  immortality  and  resurrection;  (5)  it  shows  that  "truth 
crushed  to  earth  will  rise  again." 

526.  Credibility  and  Possibility.  As  to  the  possibility 
of  a  real  bodily  resurrection  most  Christians  hold  that  we 
are  confronted  by  a  genuine  miracle  which  man  will  never 
be  able  to  explain.  An  increasing  number  of  scholars,  how- 
ever, believe  that  Christ's  body  was  raised  through  the 
operation  of  laws  as  yet  unknown  to  us,  and  that  the  spir- 
itual body  in  which  he  appeared,  was,  as  Paul  declared,  as 
real  as  any  earthly  body  (i  Cor.  15).  In  these  days  of  dis- 
covery of  new  laws   and  the   scientific  demonstration  of 


326  Life  of  Christ. 

truth  which  hitherto  had  rested  merely  on  faith,  scientific 
men  are  becoming  very  slow  in  denying  the  basic  facts  of 
the  Christian  faith  merely  on  the  plea  of  being  "impossible" 
or  "contrary  to  the  natural  laws."  Such  assumptions  are 
philosophical  and  materialistic  prepossessions  but  are  very 
far  from  being  scientific. 

527.  Non-Miraculous  Interpretations  of  the  Records. 
Christ's  real  resurrection  being  the  pivotal  point  of  Chris- 
tianity, as  Paul  already  declares  (i  Cor.  15),  it  has  always 
been  the  center  of  attack,  beginning  with  the  lying  reports 
of  the  rulers  and  the  Roman  soldiers  (Matt.  28).  Modern 
attempts  to  explain  away  the  real  sense  of  the  Gospel  story 
may  be  classified  as  follows:  (i)  The  Swoon  Theory 
(Scheintod).  Jesus  had  not  really  died  on  the  cross,  but 
had  fallen  into  a  death-like  stupor.  In  the  coolness  of  the 
tomb  he  revived  and  his  friends  nursed  him  back  to  life. 
Answer:  (a)  the  spear  thrust  had  certainly  killed  Jesus, 
even  if  he  had  not  been  dead  before;  (b)  how  could  the 
pitiable  appearance  of  one  just  recovering  from  wounds 
have  given  rise  to  such  a  sudden  and  enthusiastic  belief  that 
he  was  the  conqueror  of  death  ?  Even  Strauss  cast  ridicule 
and  biting  scarcasm  on  this  hypothesis.  (2)  The  Theory  of 
Fraud.  His  friends  (especially  Joseph  and  Nicodemus) 
removed  his  body  and  the  rumor  was  allowed  to  spread 
among  his  other  disciples  that  he  had  risen.  This  explana- 
tion is  as  old  as  the  resurrection  itself  (Matt.  28).  Another 
version  of  this  theory  is  that  Joseph,  or  his  family,  were 
afraid  that  a  crucified  body  might  defile  their  tomb,  and  so 
he  removed  it  quietly.  And  according  to  a  third  version 
the  Jewish  rulers  themselves  removed  the  body  to  deceive  the 
disciples.  Answer :  Why  did  the  rulers  not  say  so,  or  show 
the  place  and  remnants  of  the  body  when  they  made  such 
strenuous  efforts  to  stop  Peter  and  Stephen  from  preach- 
ing the  resurrection  (Acts,  Ch.  3-7).  These  theories  have 
now  been  almost  entirely  abandoned  because  they  are  so  un- 
speakably ridiculous,  and  create  much  greater  difficulties 
than  they  propose  to  allay.      (3)   The  Spiritual  Resurrec- 


Life  of  Christ.  327 

tion.  Christ  remained  dead  in  the  tomb  but  his  spirit  arose 
in  his  disciples  and  kindled  a  new  hope  and  faith.  When 
Jesus  foretold  his  resurrection  he  meant  it  in  a  figurative 
sense,  as  if  he  were  to  say:  I  shall  die,  but  my  cause  will 
revive  in  a  short  time.  And  so  it  proved.  After  the  first 
stupefaction  was  over  the  disciples  realized  that  their  Mas- 
ter, though  his  body  was  in  the  tomb,  still  existed  in  an- 
other state  of  being,  and  so  by  degrees  they  resumed  the 
work  which  he  had  dropped.  And  this  was  his  resurrec- 
tion. Answer :  This  is  twisting  the  text,  a  procedure  which 
is  unworthy  of  serious  and  sincere  men.  Let  the  text  speak 
for  itself,  whether  you  believe  it  or  not.  (4)  Legendary 
Theory.  This  theory  holds  that  the  belief  in  the  resurrec- 
tion grew  up  during  the  first  century,  and  gradually  came  to 
be  accepted  by  a  credulous  and  uncritical  age.  Answer: 
Legends  require  long  time  for  development.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  synoptic  Gospels  written  within  forty  years  of 
the  event,  and  Paul's  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians  (ch. 
15)  written  within  thirty  years,  revealed  not  only  the  uni- 
versal conviction  of  the  Church,  but  a  conviction  not  a  whit 
stronger  than  that  of  the  disciples  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
six  weeks  after  the  crucifixion.  (5)  Subjective  Vision 
Theory.  After  their  return  to  the  familiar  places  in  Gal- 
ilee they  lived  over  their  former  life  with  Jesus.  This  led 
to  mental  hallucinations,  which  excitable  natures  like  Peter 
and  Mary  Magdalene  objectified  and  materialized  to  such 
an  extent  that  they  believed  to  have  seen  him  bodily  stand 
on  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  Answer :  "The  critics  would  have  us 
believe  that  the  witnesses  began  this  dreaming  simultane- 
ously, and  kept  at  it  off  and  on  for  about  six  weeks,  the 
dreaming  fit  embracing  no  less  than  500  persons  on  one  of 
these  occasions,  and  then  suddenly  ceasing  so  as  to  admit 
of  the  resurrection  idea  getting  launched  as  history."  (6) 
An  Objective,  Divinely  Given,  Real  Vision  of  Jesus,  such  as 
Paul  had,  caused  by  Jesus  himself  for  the  express  purpose 
of  creating  the  very  belief  in  which  it  issued,  namely,  that 
Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  the  Messiah  and   spiritually 


328  Life  of  Christ. 

alive,  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  (7)  The  chief  ob- 
jections to  all  these  theories  are  (i)  the  empty  tomb,  (2) 
their  violent  contradiction  to  the  reports  in  the  Gospels,  (3) 
their  failure  to  account  for  the  change  in  the  disciples;  for 
the  psychological  conditions  were  entirely  absent.  The  dis- 
ciples did  not  only  not  expect  a  resurrection  but  regarded 
the  reports  as  "idle  tales"  and  some  of  the  500  "doubted" 
(Lu.  24:21;  Matt.  28:  17).  It  is  a  gratuitous  assumption 
to  suppose  that  these  hard-headed  men  could  not  distinguish 
between  subjective  experience  and  objective  fact.  (4) 
Their  failure  to  give  an  adequate  explanation  of  the  origin 
and  power  of  Christianity.  (5)  The  moral  objection  to  these 
and  all  similar  theories  is,  if  possible,  still  stronger.  They 
make  not  only  the  faith  of  the  early  Church,  but  the  en- 
tire subsequent  development  and  influence  of  the  most  po- 
tent and  beneficent  moral  force  the  world  has  ever  known, 
rest  on  self-deceptions,  hallucinations,  actual  falsehoods. 
(6)  The  strong,  joyful,  living  faith  of  the  early  Church  can- 
not be  satisfactorily  accounted  for  except  on  the  ground 
of  an  actual  resurrection.  Christ's  enemies  would  have  left 
no  stone  unturned  to  prevent  such  a  report  gaining  ground 
if  it  had  not  rested  on  irrefutable  proofs.  The  consensus 
of  opinion  among  evangelical  critics  is  that  no  past  event 
stands  on  firmer  historical  grounds  than  that  Jesus  being 
dead  arose  again,  and  that  his  appearance  to  the  disciples  be- 
got their  faith  anew,  and  filled  them  with  enthusiasm  for 
their  future  work.  Those  who  cannot  personally  investi- 
gate the  evidence  may  confidently  join  in  this  conclusion. 

528.  This  is  a  sketch  of  Christ's  Christology.  However, 
there  are  others.  But  all  the  hundreds  of  conceptions  of 
Christ's  person  can  be  reduced  to  two :  (a)  Jesus  is  a  man — 
a  great  man,  the  greatest,  but  only  a  man ;  and  (b)  Jesus  is 
the  only  Son  of  God,  unparalleled,  unlike  any  other  per- 
son. From  the  beginning  the  Christian  Church  took  the 
higher  of  these  two  conceptions.  The  lower  conception  is 
easier  to  grasp ;  but  we  are  not  after  easy  conceptions,  we 
are  after  the  truth.     The  Ptolemaic  theory  is  far  simpler 


Life  of  Christ.  329 

than  the  Copernican,  and  yet  we  hold  the  latter.  We  must 
assume  the  higher  conception  of  Jesus  in  order  to  explain 
the  phenomenon  which  must  be  accounted  for,  e.  g.  the 
existence  of  the  church.  The  lower  conception  requires 
less  time  for  its  mastery  and  is  more  congenial  to  the  un- 
spiritual  heart  than  the  higher  view.  But  why  has  the 
Church  accepted  the  higher  view?  (i)  Because  of  the  tes- 
timony of  the  N.  T. ;  (2)  because  of  the  powerful  influence 
of  the  Biblical  Christ  in  history;  (3)  because  of  individual 
Christian  experience,  the  great  test  of  truth  ("Things  Fun- 
damental," by  Jefferson).  The  essence  of  Christianity  is 
no  mere  message  of  love  to  God  and  man,  delivered  by  a 
human  teacher,  but  a  drama  of  redemption.  Thus  liberal 
Christianity  is  a  radical  departure  from  the  teaching  of 
Christ;  tame,  bleached,  bloodless,  void  of  all  mysteries 
which  make  religion  attractive.  Christ's  christology  has 
ever  been  the  christology  of  the  Church  Universal,  taught 
in  all  her  official  creeds,  defended  by  her  greatest  teachers, 
proclaimed  by  her  soul-stirring  preachers,  contained  in  all 
her  liturgies  and  underlying  all  her  immortal  hymns.  The 
reason  for  this  strong  hold  is  not  far  to  seek.  It  lies  in  the 
fact  that  this  Christology  is  contained  in  the  N.  Test.,  that  it 
answers  more  questions,  explains  more  difficulties,  satisfies 
more  wants,  agrees  better  with  sound  philosophical  princi- 
ples, is  truer  to  the  facts  of  history  and  human  convictions, 
and  responds  more  readily  to  the  religious  need  of  man 
than  any  other  system.  Untold  millions  have  traced  the 
principle  of  a  new  life  in  their  souls  to  the  faith  in  Christ 
as  .taught  by  the  Church  in  her  catechisms,  hymns  and  pray- 
ers. "It  is  the  old  time  religion,  and  is  good  enough  for 
me."  If  therefore  we  repudiate  the  Christology  of  the  N. 
T.  we  should  be  clearly  conscious  of  what  we  do.  We  are 
making  a  choice  between  Christ  and  the  modern,  negative 
critical  school.    We  reduce  the  N.  T.  to  a  piece  of  tradition. 

529.  Reference  Literature.  Koegel,  Problem  der  Geschichte  J.; 
On  the  Incarnation,  Sheldon,  N.  T.  Theol,  p.  56;  Purpose  of  J.  by 
C.  C.  Morgan  (in  "Fundamentals,  I,  p.  29)  ;  Bosworth,  Tea.  of  J., 


330  Life  of  Christ. 

p.  23;  Orr,  Virgin  Birth  (in  "Fundamentals,  I);  Cook,  Incarn. 
and  Recent  Crit. ;  Sweet,  Birth  and  Inf.;  Gruetzemacher,  Jung- 
fraeuliche  Geburt;  Hast.  D.  C.  I,  796. 

On  Christ's  Self-Consciousness.  Kaftan,  Menschheit  Jesu;  Jef- 
ferson, Deity  of  J.  (in  "Things  Fundamental,"  Ch.  6  and  7)  ;  Ull- 
man,  Sinlcssness  of  C. ;  Adcney,  N.  T.  Theol.,  p.  26,  59;  Sheldon,  N. 
T.  Theol.,  p.  59;  Mathews,  Mess.  Hope  in  N.  T. ;  Hitchcock,  Psych, 
of  J.,  p.  89;  Warficid,  in  Fundamentals,  I,  21;  Denny,  J.  and  the 
Cos.,  Consciousness,  pp.  177-324;  on  the  resurr.,  pp.  99-138;  Warfield 
Lord  of  Glory;  Garvic,  Inner  Life  of  J.;  Luthard,  Apol.  Vortraege, 
II;  Barrows,  Personality  of  J;  Ihmels  Wer  war  Jesus?  Barth, 
Hauptprobleme ;  Bettex,  Was  duenket  dich  um  Christo?  Hale,  Who 
Then  Is  This?  Godet,  N.  T.  Studies;  Forsyth,  Person  and  Place 
of  J.;  Moorchcad,  Moral  Glory  of  J.  (in  Fundamentals,  III,  42); 
Speer,  God  in  Christ  (in  Fund.,  Ill,  61)  ;  Kuehl,  Selbstbewusstsein 
J.;  Mueller,  Unser  Herr;  Baldensperger,  Self-Consciousness  of  J.; 
Lemme,  Jesu  Wissen  und  Weisheit;  Jesu  Irrthumslosigkeit;  Dor- 
ner.  Person  Christi;  Liddon,  Deity  of  Our  L.,  p.  154;  Hast.  D. 
of  C,  on  Metaphys,  II,  179;  pre-existence,  II,  407;  Son  of  Man,  II, 
659;  Son  of  God,  II,  654;  humanity  of  C,  I,  753;  Consciousness,  I, 
361 ;  divinity,  I,  467 ;  Kenosis,  I,  929. 

On  the  Resurrection.  Christlieb,  Mod.  Denial,  in  Mod.  Doubt, 
448;  Torrey  (in  Fundamentals,  V,  p.  81)  ;  Royce,  Immort. ;  Charles, 
Hebr.  Eschat;  see  D.  B.  by  Davis,  Hast.,  Smith  and  Piercy. 

CHAPTER  53. 

Christ's  Influence  in  the  World, 

530.  The  influence  of  Christ  and  his  gospel  has  come 
down  through  the  centuries  like  a  gulf-stream  of  love,  pow- 
erful, continuous,  far-reaching.  He  impressed  his  image 
on  (i)  his  disciples  during  his  life-time;  (2)  on  the  be- 
lievers in  him  after  his  ascension  (Paul)  ;  (3)  on  Ihe 
Church,  which  at  the  first  council  at  Nicaea  (325)  rendered 
her  testimony  to  him  as  the  "very  God  of  very  God" ;  (4) 
on  the  martyrs  who  gave  their  lives  for  their  faith  in  him 
(Ignatius,  Polycarp).  (5)  The  Lord's  influence  was  never 
greater  than  to-day,  over  the  greatest  intellects  (philoso- 
phers, scientists,  poets  and  painters),  as  well  as  over  the 
common  people  who  liked  him  and  whom  he  liked  so  much 
during  his  life  on  earth. 


Life  of  Christ.  331 

531.  Christ  has  radically  influenced  the  individual,  the 
social  and  moral  life  of  man,  and  all  signs  indicate  that  the 
world  stands  on  the  threshold  of  a  more  powerful  realiza- 
tion of  Christ's  teaching,  extensively  by  the  conversion  of 
the  whole  world,  and  intensively  by  impressing  our  states- 
men and  the  business  world  that  the  Golden  Rule,  sur- 
charged with  his  spirit,  is  the  most  practicable  rule  of  life 
for  individuals  and  society.  Bismarck  was  right  when  he 
answered  an  attack  of  free  thinkers  in  the  German  Diet  by 
saying:  "All  your  conceptions  of  right  and  wrong,  of 
honor  and  fidelity,  of  purity  and  virtue,  are  simply  the 
petrified  remnants  of  your  Christian  training."  Christ  has 
infused  so  much  of  his  spirit  of  love  and  righteousness  into 
the  world  that  even  those  who  disregard  him  would  not  care 
to  live  in  it  if  his  influence  were  withdrawn.  Besides  the 
Bible,  Christianity  can  point  to  other  credentials  of  the  most 
convincing  kind.  For  the  space  of  two  thousand  years  it 
has  proved  itself  to  be  the  chief  source  of  moral  illumina- 
tion, of  comfort  for  the  sorrowing,  of  strength  for  the  weak, 
of  deliverance  for  the  oppressed,  of  hope  for  the  dying.  It 
is  the  spring  of  modern  philanthropy,  the  basis  of  modern 
civilization,  the  fountain-head  of  those  ideas  of  human 
brotherhood  that  permeate  and  modify  social  life  at  every 
point.  Wherever  it  touches  humanity  it  purifies,  lifts,  in- 
spires, re-creates.  Its  power  in  transforming  a  single  hu- 
man life  is  a  promise  and  pledge  of  its  power  over  all  life. 

532.  We  will  close  this  book  by  giving  a  careful  selec- 
tion of  testimonies  to  Christ.  For  obvious  reasons  we  ex- 
clude theologians  and  other  very  pronounced  Christians : 
( I )  because  even  a  selection  of  testimonies  from  them 
would  fill  a  volume,  and  (2)  because  eulogies  to  Christ 
may  be  taken  for  granted  from  such  sources.  We  have  ad- 
mitted the  testimonies  of  a  few  sceptics,  for  the  reason 
that  the  estimates  of  unbelievers  have  in  some  respects 
greater  evidential  value  than  those  from  Christians  though 
their  consistency  cannot  be  defended. 


332  Lij-c  of  Christ. 

533.  The  object  of  giving  these  testimonies  is:  (a)  to 
answer  the  question  which  is  always  being  raised  since  the 
Pharisees  sneeringly  asked  it,  Do  the  rulers  believe  on  him 
— the  rulers  in  government,  science  and  art.  The  impres- 
sion is  sometimes  studiously  created  as  if  only  a  few  really 
great  men  believed  in  the  Jesus  of  the  Gospels.  Truth  re- 
mains truth,  even  though  the  great  and  learned  should  re- 
ject it,  but  it  is  a  source  of  joy  to  Christians,  especially  the 
educated  part  of  the  rising  generation,  to  know  that  they 
will  be  in  excellent  company  when  following  Jesus,  (b) 
It  will  also  be  helpful  to  learn  what  impression  Jesus  made 
on  the  choicest  spirits  and  the  finest  intellects  the  world 
has  seen.  (c)  Finally,  these  testimonies  will  especially 
serve  young  Christians  as  authorities  at  a  time  of  their  lives 
w'hen  in  the  nature  of  the  case  they  lack  the  deeper  experi- 
ences of  life,  until  the  time  shall  come  for  them  when  they 
can  say  with  the  Samaritans,  "Now  w'e  believe,  not  because 
of  thy  speaking;  for  we  have  heard  for  ourselves,  and  know 
that  this  is  indeed  the  Saviour  of  the  world."  (Jno  4:42.) 

I.     Testimonies  of  Kings. 

534.  I.  Alfred,  the  Great,  king  of  England,  (died  907). 
Whether  poor  or  rich,  fear  and  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
He  is  the  Lord  of  life,  our  great  teacher,  our  kind  Father. 

2.  Napoleon  I  (Life,  Vol.  IL  p.  612).  I  know  men, 
and  I  tell  you  Jesus  Christ  was  not  a  man.  Superficial 
minds  see  a  resemblance  between  Christ  and  the  founders 
of  em.pires  and  the  gods  of  other  religions.  That  resem- 
blance does  not  exist.  There  is  between  Christianity  and 
other  religions  the  distance  of  infinity.  Everything  in 
Christ  astonishes  me.  Here  I  see  nothing  human.  The 
nearer  I  approach,  everything  is  above  me.  Alexander, 
Czesar,  Charlemagne  and  myself  founded  empires.  But  on 
what  did  we  rest  the  creations  of  our  genius?  L^pon  force. 
Jesus  Christ  alone  founded  his  empire  upon  love,  and  at 
this  hour  millions  of  men  would  die  for  him.  Christ  proved 
that  he  was  the  Son  of  the  Eternal. 


Life  of  Christ.  333 

3.  William  I,  German  Emperor  (died  1888).  Faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  firm  foundation  on  which 
we  may  stand  in  the  storm  of  life.  At  the  very  moment 
when  I  took  the  crown  from  the  altar  to  put  it  on  my  head, 
there  overcame  me  a  deep  sense  of  responsibility  and  fear. 
I  instintively  withdrew  my  hand.  In  so  doing  my  eyes 
caught  sight  of  the  crucifix  and  this  aspect  gave  me  comfort 
and  strength.  I  thought,  Christ,  who  wore  the  crown  of 
thorns  for  me,  will  help  me  to  wear  the  royal  crown. 

4.  William  II,  German  Emperor  (since  1888).  Christ 
was  the  most  personal  of  all  personalities  that  ever  lived. 
The  words  of  no  other  man  have  had  the  effect  of  his,  and 
this  can  only  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  his  words  are 
the  very  words  of  the  living  God.  The  attitude  of  a  man 
toward  his  Saviour  is  decisive  for  him.  Christ  cannot  be 
ignored.  Our  only  help  and  refuge  is  and  remains  the 
Saviour.  The  world-renewing  power  of  the  gospel  teaches 
us  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  overcome  our  Evangelical 
Church.  What  the  German  nation  is  to-day  is  due  to  the 
cross  on  Calvary. 

2.     Testimonies  of  Statesmen. 

535.  I.  Admiral  Coligny  (murdered  1572).  In  Christ 
and  in  him  alone  I  seek  salvation  and  pardon  of  sin. 

2.  Thomas  Jefferson  (Works,  Vol.  IV,  p.  479).  I  am 
a  Christian,  sincerely  attracted  to  his  doctrines,  in  prefer- 
ence to  all  others.  His  moral  doctrines  were  more  pure  and 
perfect  than  those  of  the  most  correct  of  the  philosophers. 

3.  Benjamin  Franklin  (To  President  Stiles  of  Yale 
College).  I  think  Jesus  Christ's  system  of  morals  and  reli- 
gion, as  he  left  them  to  us,  the  best  the  world  ever  saw,  or 
is  likely  to  see. 

4.  Daniel  Webster  (Argument  in  the  Girard  Will 
Case).  I  believe  Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  The 
miracles  which  he  wrought  establish  in  my  mind  his  per- 
sonal authority  and  render  it  proper  for  me  to  believe  what 
he  asserts.     When  little   children   were  brought   into   the 


334  -^-'7^  of  Christ. 

presence  of  the  Son  of  God,  liis  disciples  proposed  to  send 
them  away;  but  he  said:  "SufTer  little  children  to  come  unto 
me." 

5.  Gladstone  (Review  of  Ecce  Homo).  Through  the 
fair  gloss  of  his  manhood  we  perceive  the  rich  bloom  of  his 
divinity.  If  he  is  not  now  without  an  assailant,  at  least  he 
is  without  a  rival.  If  he  be  not  the  Son  of  righteousness, 
the  Friend  that  gives  his  life  for  his  friends  and  that 
sticketh  closer  than  a  brother,  the  unfailing  Consoler,  the 
constant  Guide,  the  everlasting  Priest  and  King,  at  least, 
as  all  must  confess,  there  is  no  other  to  come  into  his  room. 

6.  President  Paul  Krueger  of  the  Transvaal,  I  hope 
all  the  teachers  before  me  know  by  experience  the  faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  you  are  anxious  to  lead  your 
pupils  to  the  Lord. 

7.  Prince  Bismarck,  Imperial  Chancellor  of  Germany 
(died  1898).  Let  me  remind  those  of  you  who  do  not  be- 
lieve in  the  Word  of  God,  that  the  best  you  still  possess, 
all  your  conceptions  of  morality,  honor  and  duty,  are  simply 
the  remnants  of  your  Christian  training.  I  confess  openly 
that  my  faith  in  our  revealed  religion,  determines  my  work 
as  a  servant  of  the  state.  I,  the  Chancellor  of  the  German 
Empire,  am  a  Christian,  and  I  am  fully  determined  to  act 
as  such,  according  to  the  light  which  God  will  give  me.  .  . . 
After  a  few  years  it  will  be  immaterial  to  us  how  Prussia 
will  be  ruled,  if  only  the  mercy  of  God  and  Christ's  re- 
demption remain  with  us.  Last  night,  in  order  to  banish 
the  tormenting  worries  about  the  political  situation  I  opened 
the  Bible  at  random  and  read  Ps.  no:  5 :  "Oh !  how  little  is 
all  that  men  have  created !  The  wind  bloweth  over  it  and 
it  is  gone." 

3.     Testimonies  of  Philosophers. 

536.  I.  Spinoza  (Life  and  Philosophy,  Sees.  22,  24). 
No  man  ever  came  to  that  singular  height  of  perfection  but 
Christ,  to  whom  the  ordinances  of  God  that  lead  man  to 
salvation,  were  revealed,  not  in  words  or  in  visions,  but  im- 


Life  of  Christ.  335 

mediately :  so  that  God  manifested  himself  to  the  apostles 
by  the  mind  of  Christ.  Therefore,  the  voice  of  Christ  may 
be  called  the  voice  of  God.    Christ  is  the  way  of  salvation. 

2.  John  Locke  (Works,  Vol.  II,  p.  582).  Before  our 
Saviour's  time,  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state,  though  it  were 
not  wholly  hid,  yet  it  was  not  clearly  known  in  the  world. 
He  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light.  And  that  not  only 
in  the  clear  revelation  of  it  and  in  instances  shown  of  men 
raised  from  the  dead ;  but  he  has  given  an  unquestionable 
assurance  and  pledge  of  it,  in  his  own  resurrection  and  as- 
cension into  heaven.  How  hath  this  one  truth  changed 
the  nature  of  things.  The  philosophers,  indeed  show  the 
beauty  of  nature,  but  leaving  her  unendowed,  very  few  are 
willing  to  espouse  her.  It  has  another  relish  and  efficiency 
to  persuade  men  that  if  they  live  well  here,  they  shall  be 
happy  hereafter.  Upon  this  foundation,  and  upon  this  only, 
morality  stands  firm ;  and  this  is  the  gospel  Jesus  Christ 
has  delivered  to  us. 

3.  Voltaire  (Toleration,  p.  95).  If  we  may  compare 
God  with  man,  his  death  greatly  resembled  that  of  Socrates. 

4.  Rousseau  (Works,  Vol.  II,  p.  215).  Is  it  possible 
that  the  sacred  personage  should  be  a  mere  man?  If  the 
life  and  death  of  Socrates  were  those  of  a  sage,  the  life 
and  death  of  Jesus  Christ  are  those  of  a  God. 

5.  Kant  (The  Existence  of  God,  p.  249).  In  the  life 
and  the  divine  doctrine  of  Christ,  example  and  precept  con- 
spire to  call  men  to  the  regular  discharge  of  every  moral 
duty  for  its  own  sake.  Christ  is  the  founder  of  the  first 
true  Church;  that  is,  that  Church  which  exhibits  the  moral 
kingdom  of  God  upon  earth. 

6.  Fichte  (Religion,  p.  483).  He  was  the  Absolute 
Reason  clothed  in  immediate  self-consciousness,  or  what  is 
the  same  thing, — Religion. 

7.  Hegel  (Philosophy  of  History,  p.  337).  If  Christ  is 
to  be  looked  upon  only  as  an  excellent,  even  impeccable  indi- 
vidual, and  nothing  more,  the  conception  of  the  speculative 
idea  of  Absolute  Truth,  is  ignored.     The  real  attestation 


33^  Life  of  Christ. 

of  the  divinity  of  Christ  is  the  witness  of  one's  own  spirit, 
not  miracles ;  for  only  spirit  recognizes  Spirit. 

8.  Emerson  (Prose  Works,  Vol.  I,  p.  69).  Jesus  is  the 
most  perfect  of  all  men  that  have  yet  appeared.  The  unique 
impressions  of  Jesus  upon  mankind  are  not  so  much  writ- 
ten as  ploughed  into  the  history  of  this  world.  He  saw  with 
open  eye  the  mystery  of  the  soul.  Alone  in  all  history,  he 
estimated  the  greatness  of  man. 

9.  Thomas  Carlyle  (Sartor  Resartus,  p.  155).  All 
men  can  recognize  a  present  God,  and  worship  the  same. 
Look  on  our  divinest  symbol,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  his 
life  and  his  biography.  Higher  has  the  human  thought  not 
yet  reached. 

4.     Testimonies  of  Poets  and  Others. 

537.  Shakespeare  (Last  Will,  1616).  I  commend  my 
soul  into  the  hands  of  God,  my  Creator,  hoping  and  assured- 
ly believing,  through  the  only  merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  my 
Saviour,  to  be  made  partaker  of  life  everlasting. 

9.  Goethe  (Conversations  with  Eckermann).  I  look 
upon  all  the  four  Gospels  as  thoroughly  genuine ;  for  there 
is  in  them  the  reflection  of  a  greatness  which  emanated 
from  the  person  of  Jesus,  and  which  was  as  divine  a  kind 
as  ever  was  seen  upon  earth.  HI  am  asked  whether  it 
is  in  my  nature  to  pay  him  devout  reverence,  I  say.  Certain- 
ly; I  bow  before  him  as  the  divine  manifestation  of  the 
highest  principle  of  morality.  Let  mental  culture  go  on  ad- 
vancing, let  the  natural  sciences  go  on  gaining  in  depth  and 
breadth,  and  the  human  mind  expand  as  it  may,  it  will  never 
go  beyond  the  elevation  and  moral  culture  of  Christianity, 
as  it  glistens  and  shines  forth  in  the  Gospel. 

3.  Charles  Dickens  (Last  Will).  I  commit  my  soul  to 
the  mercy  of  God,  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  and  I  exhort  my  dear  children  humbly  to  try  to 
guide  themselves  by  the  teachings  of  the  New  Testament. 

4.  Tolstoi  (My  Religion,  pp.  46).  H  the  progress  is 
slow,  it  is  because  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  (which,  through  its 


Life  of  Christ.  337 

clearness,  simplicity,  and  wisdom,  appeals  so  inevitably  to 
human  nature),  has  been  cunningly  concealed  from  the  ma- 
jority of  mankind,  under  an  entirely  different  doctrine 
falsely  called  by  his  name.  Our  existence  is  now  so  entirely 
in  contradiction  with  the  doctrine  of  Jesus,  that  only  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  can  we  understand  its  meaning.  Why 
is  it,  that  men  have  not  done  as  Jesus  commanded  them,  and 
thus  secured  the  greatest  happiness  within  their  reach,  the 
happiness  they  have  always  longed  for  and  still  desire? 
The  reply  is :  The  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  admirable ;  and  it 
is  true  that  if  we  practiced  it,  we  should  see  the  kingdom  of 
God  established  upon  the  earth ;  but  to  practice  it  is  dif- 
ficult and  consequently  this  doctrine  is  impracticable.  We 
repeat  this  and  hear  it  repeated  so  many,  many,  times,  that 
we  do  not  observe  the  contradiction  contained  in  these 
words. 

5.  Lord  Byron,  If  ever  man  was  God  or  God  man, 
Jesus  Christ  was  both. 

6.  Richard  Wagner  (died  1883).  The  founder  of 
Christianity  was  not  wise,  but  divine.  Happy  is  the  man 
who  has  from  childhood  been  trained  in  our  religion.  To 
know  that  we  have  a  Redeemer,  remains  the  greatest  treas- 
ure of  man.  To  throw  away  this  precious  faith  shows  our 
dependence  on  wild  demagogs. 

7.  Tennyson  ("In  Memoriam")  — 
"Strong  Son  of  God,  immortal  Love, 

Whom  we,  that  have  not  seen  thy  face, 
By  faith,  and  faith  alone,  embrace, 
Believing  where  we  cannot  prove." 

"Thou  seemest  human  and  divine 

The  highest,  holiest  manhood,  thou : 
Our  wills  are  ours,  we  know  not  how ; 
Our  wills  are  ours,  to  make  them  thine." 

"Our  little  systems  have  their  day; 

They  have  their  day  and  cease  to  be : 


33^  J^fc  of  Christ. 

They  are  but  broken  lights  of  thee, 
And  thou,  O  Lord,  art  more  than  they." 

538.  Reference  Literature.  Farrar,  Witness  of  Hist,  to  C. ;  Young, 
The  C.  of  Ilist. ;  Uhlhorn,  Conflict  of  Christianity  with  Heathenism; 
Pfannmueller,  Jesus  in  Urteil  der  Jahrhunderte ;  Zoeckler,  Gottes- 
zeugen  im  Reiche  der  Natur. ;  Jefferson,  in  Things  Fund.,  p.  174; 
Pfennigdorf,  Christus  in  Mod.  Geistesleben ;  "Jesus  Christ  and  the 
Christian  Character,"  F.  G.  Peabody;  Speer,  The  Principles  of 
Jesus  applied  to  the  present  life;  Forrest,  The  C.  of  Hist,  and  Ex- 
perience; Bonwetsch,  J.  im  Bewusstsein  der  Kirche;  "Christian 
Belief  Interpreted  by  Christian  Experience,"  Charles  Cuthbert  Hall, 
D.D.;  Mathews,  W.  A.,  "Witness  of  the  World  to  Christ";  Hillis, 
N.  D.,  "The  Influence  of  Christ  in  Modern  Life";  Hinsdale,  B.  A., 
"Jesus  as  a  Teacher";  "The  Gospel  for  an  Age  of  Doubt,"  Henry 
van  Dyke;  Leighton,  J.  and  the  Civilization  of  To-day;  Brooks, 
Infl.  of  J.;  Carpenter,  Witness  to  the  Infl.  of  C. ;  Newman,  Ch. 
Hist.,  I,  78;  Knowling,  Test,  of  Paul  tp  C;  Henning,  Was  be- 
ruehmte  Maenner  ueber  Christus  sagen;  Hast.  D.  C,  C.  in  Jewish, 
Mohamed,  Lit.  and  in  Paul,  II,  876-886;  C.  in  the  Church,  II,  849; 
Infl.  of  C,  II,  824. 

CHAPTER  54. 

Non-Biblical  Portraits  of  Jesus. 

539.  Side  by  side  with  the  N.  T.  portrait  of  Jesus  as  de- 
lineated in  the  previous  chapters  there  have  always  been  a 
great  variety  of  non-Biblical  pictures  of  him.  They  vary 
very  much  in  detail,  from  the  liberal  view  to  the  total  de- 
nial of  the  historicity  of  the  N.  T.  Jesus.  But  they  have 
certain  features  in  common,  such  as  the  denial  of  his  true 
Godhead,  his  personal  pre-existence,  his  personal  incarna- 
tion, and  his  resurrection.  As  the  N.  T.  portrait,  so  has 
this  non-miraculous  picture  of  Christ  become  traditional 
in  its  main  outlines,  tracing  its  principal  features  from  the 
errorists  at  Colossae  and  in  John's  time,  who  denied  Christ's 
incarnation  and  true  Deity,  through  the  Ebionites,  Gnostics 
and  the  Arians  in  the  first  four  centuries  and  the  Socinians 
of  the  Reformation  period,  to  the  Unitarians,  radicals  and 
liberals  of  our  own  time.     Hence  if  "traditional"  is  a  term 


Life  of  Christ.  339 

of  reproach,  both,  evangelical  and  liberal  Christians,  will 
have  to  share  it.  While  it  is  not  pleasant  to  exhibit  some 
of  these  caricatures  of  Christ,  it  is,  however,  necessary  to 
forewarn  Bible  students  and  acquaint  them  with  the  evan- 
gelical estimate  of  the  radical  views  of  Christ  which  on  the 
platform,  in  some  pulpits  and  in  the  press  are  constantly 
presented  with  such  great  plausibility  as  the  real  scientific 
portraits  of  Jesus. 

540.  The  ancient  sketches  painted  by  the  Ebionites, 
Gnostics  and  other  sects,  as  well  as  that  by  the  Wolfen- 
biittel  fragments,  which  made  Christ  or  his  apostles,  or  both, 
common  frauds  and  imposters  are  entirely  faded  and  have 
to-day  only  antiquarian  interest.  The  principal  types  of 
modern  portraits  of  Christ  are  those  of  the  rationalistic,  the 
liberal,  the  mythical,  the  antiquated,  the  diseased,  the  Budd- 
histic, the  socialistic  and  the  non-historical  Christ. 

I.     The  Christ  of  Rationalism. 

541.  The  German  rationalists  of  the  old  school  (Gabler, 
Teller,  Loeffler,  Kant),  the  English  Deists  (Hobbes,  Shaf- 
tesbury), and  the  American  Unitarians  (Emerson,  Parker, 
Channing)  conceded,  in  the  main,  the  historicity  of  the 
Life  of  Christ  as  recorded  in  the  Gospels ;  but  by  a  very  ar- 
bitrary method  of  exegesis  they  explained  away  all  that  is 
miraculous  in  the  records.  They  considered  Jesus  to  be 
merely  a  Jewish  rabbi  who  endeavored  to  purify  the  Jewish 
religion,  and  to  instil  into  his  people  the  three  great  truths, 
God,  Virtue,  Immortality  (Fr.  Schiller,  "Drei  Worte  des 
Glaubens").  They  held  that  most  of  what  is  reported  as 
going  beyond  human  powers  and  comprehension  did  indeed 
happen,  but  in  an  entirely  natural  way.  Jesus  was  in  pos- 
session of  occult  powers,  such  as  magnetism,  mesmerism, 
suggestion,  hypnotism,  etc.,  but  his  simple-minded  disciples 
misunderstood  his  cures  and  attributed  them  to  miraculous 
causes.  They  said,  we  must  decide  between  the  husk  and 
the  kernel,  and  the  standard  by  which  to  do  that  is  human 
reason.     Hence  they  were   called   "Rationalists,"   not  be- 


340  Life  of  Christ. 

cause  they  employed  reason,  but  because  they  made  unaided 
reason  the  absolute  standard  of  deciding  what  is  truth. 
Their  exegesis  is  in  many  cases  preposterous.  While  deny- 
ing Christ's  miracles  they  performed  veritable  miracles  of 
exegesis.  Some  of  their  feats  in  this  direction  still  serve  as 
amusement  for  the  students  at  German  universities.  (For 
examples  of  Rationalistic  exegesis  see  Christlieb,  Modern 
Doubt  and  Christian  Belief,  p.  346.)  This  portrait  of 
Christ  has  been  almost  entirely  erased  from  the  minds  of 
our  generation,  and  to-day  has  only  antiquarian  interest. 
We  have  given  this  sketch,  however,  because  modern  liber- 
alism has  appropriated  some  of  the  Rationalist's  colors  for 
painting  its  own  portrait  of  Jesus. 

II.     The  Christ-Portrait  of  Modern  Liberalism. 

542.  More  plausible  and  therefore  more  dangerous  is 
the  Christ  of  modern  liberalism,  which  varies  much,  from 
the  mild  liberalism  of  Beyschlag,  to  the  more  pronounced 
type  of  Harnack  and  the  radicalism  of  Pfleiderer.  Its  main 
positions  are  these:  (i)  As  documents  most  N.  T.  writings 
are  beyond  a  doubt  authentic,  i.  e.  they  were  written  by  their 
traditional  authors,  with  perhaps  the  exception  of  the  fourth 
gospel.  This  is  a  gain  over  Baur,  and  the  Tuebinger  school 
which  accepted  only  Rom.,  I  and  II  Cor.,  Gal.  and  Rev.  as 
genuine.  (2)  But  these  gospels  do  not  report  pure  history. 
Much  of  it  never  happened.  As  old  paintings  are  often 
retouched  by  admiring  artists,  so  the  real  life  of  Christ  suf- 
fered much  from  the  retouching  by  the  faith  and  enthu- 
siasm of  his  first  followers.  Speculation  about  Jesus  arose 
very  early,  even  before  Paul,  among  his  adherents,  and  hid 
the  simple  features  of  the  Nazarene  beneath  heavy  coats  of 
lurid  colors.  Especially  Paul  covered  the  picture  of  the 
man  Jesus  with  such  a  halo  of  supernaturalism,  calling  him 
not  only  the  "Son  of  God"  but  unqualifiedly  "God"  (Rom. 
9:4),  that  the  man  of  Tarsus  must  really  be  considered  the 
founder  of  Christianity.  If  asked,  were  the  N.  T.  writers, 
then,  common  frauds?  the  answer  is,  By  no  means.     This 


Life  of  Christ.  341 

was  all  done  unconsciously ;  it  was  an  outflow  of  their  love 
and  faith,  and  of  speculations  natural  to  a  man  like  Paul, 
and  to  the  magnifying-  and  transfiguring  influence  of  death, 
especially  of  such  a  death  as  Christ's.  (De  mortuis  nil  nisi 
bene — we  must  speak  only  good  of  the  dead.)  So  when 
our  oldest  life  of  Christ,  the  original  Mark,  was  written, 
the  real  picture  of  Jesus  was  already  painted  over  with  the 
glowing  colors  of  the  faith  of  the  Christians.  (3)  The 
sacred  duty  of  modern  scientific  research  is  to  do  what 
artists  do  with  old  paintings,  which  Puritan  fanaticism  or 
misguided  taste  and  enthusiasm  have  covered  over  with 
whitewash  or  retouched  with  more  glaring  than  the  natural 
colors  were — we  must  carefully,  patiently,  sympathetically 
peel  off  those  later  additions,  and  present  to  the  gaze  of 
modern  men  the  simple  features  of  the  Man  of  Nazareth. 
This  is  what  they  call,  "back  to  Christ" ! — the  restoration 
of  the  real  Christ  from  beneath  the  varnish !  (4)  The 
sharp  instrument  by  which  the  peeling  off  is  done,  is  higher  y 
criticism  and  the  guiding  principle  is  the  preconception  of^ 
liberalism  that  miracles  are  impossible.  This  leads  to  a 
purely  non-miraculous  interpretation  of  our  N,  T.  sources. 
( Bousset,  What  is  Religion,  p.  234.)  (5)  How  does  the  re- 
stored, the  supposed  real  Jesus  look?  Here  are  his  out- 
lines :  lie  was  a  great  man,  a  profound  teacher,  a  splendid 
example,  a  heroic  martyr,  but  merely  a  product  of  his  times, 
a  mere  man  with  all  the  limitations  of  his  period.  He  had 
sin  in  his  nature,  but  he  conquered  this  defect.  He  was 
born  like  any  other  man ;  his  body  never  rose  from  the 
grave,  though  his  spirit  and  memory  enthused  his  follow- 
ers to  believe  he  did  rise.  The  great  influence  of  his  name 
is  due  to  Paul's  Christological  speculations,  to  Greek  phil- 
osophy and  to  Teutonic  virility,  and  these  are  really  the 
three  ingredients  of  our  present  day  Christianity. 

543.  Serious  Objections  to  the  Liberal  Portrait  of 
Jesus.  ( I )  Its  advocates  use  the  sources  in  an  entirely  sub- 
jective and  arbitrary  manner.  They  read  their  philosophical 
ideas  into  the  Gospels,  exactly  as  the  old  rationalists  did. 


342  Life  of  Christ. 

and  as  they  charge  orthodoxy  with  doing.  The  ordinary, 
the  common,  that  which  every  man  can  do,  is  made  the 
standard  by  which  Jesus  is  measured,  and  whatever  goes 
beyond  his  merely  human  proportions  is  arbitrarily  elim- 
inated as  a  reflection  of  the  exalted  Christ  upon  the  Jesus 
of  history.  We  have  to  trust  to  the  "clear  eye"  of  Har- 
nack,  and  "the  intuition"  of  Pfleiderer.  They  make  gods 
in  their  own  image,  and  their  evolutionary,  non-miraculous 
dogma  is  employed  to  correct  history.  (Cardinal  Manning 
at  the  Vatican  Council,  1870.)  This  makes  the  liberal 
Jesus  a  fiction.  Renan  went  farthest  in  reading  his  ideal 
of  humanity  into  the  person  of  Christ,  making  the  life  of 
Christ  a  regular  French  novel.  (2)  Even  those  fragments 
of  history  which  liberalism  accepts  as  true  sources  (as 
found  in  their  purest  form  in  Mark's  Gospel)  present  to 
us,  not  the  human  Jesus  of  liberalism,  but  the  divine  Christ 
of  the  Church.  (Denny,  Jesus  and  the  Gospels.)  (3) 
Liberalism  encourages  idolatry,  by  first  degrading  Jesus  to 
the  measure  of  a  mere  man,  and  then  by  presenting  this 
emasculated  figure  to  the  people  as  the  God  of  Christian- 
ity. This  the  Germans  dubbed  "Jesuanismus,"  and  "Jesus- 
Cultus."  Using  the  phraseology  of  the  church,  but  in- 
fusing radical  ideas  into  them,  borders  on  immorality  be- 
cause it  undermines  the  people's  sense  of  truthfulness.  (4) 
The  attenuated  bloodless  Jesus  of  liberalism  will  never  suc- 
ceed in  conquering  the  modern  world.  The  N.  T.  Christ 
overcame  the  old  world,  and  the  measure  of  Christian  in- 
fluence in  modern  times  is  due  to  the  power  of  the  Christ 
whom  the  Church  proclaims.  Nowhere  does  liberalism  by 
trimming  down  the  Christian  religion  succeed  in  drawing 
the  people.  (5)  The  most  withering  criticism  against  the 
Jesus  of  liberalism  comes  from  the  radicals  (Kalthoff,  Jen- 
sen, Pfleiderer,  Strauss).  While  they  reject  both  portraits 
of  Jesus,  that  of  the  New  Testament  as  well  as  that  of 
liberalism  as  unscientific,  they  consider  the  portrait  painted 
by  the  church  as  more  scientific.  In  their  view  the  liberal 
Jesus  is  not  the  product  of  pure  historical  criticism  and 


Life  of  Christ.  343 

hence  is  not  modern  at  all.  The  liberal  portrait  is  as  anti- 
quated as  that  of  old  rationalism.  The  modern  man  will 
feel  a  much  stronger  affinity  for  the  "massive  Christ  of  the 
Church"  than  for  the  liberal  picture  of  the  dreamer  of 
Nazareth. 

III.     The  Mythical  Jesus. 

544.  Strauss,  Renan  and  Wellhausen  are  the  chief  rep- 
resentatives of  the  view  that  the  Gospels  in  the  main  con- 
sist of  myths,  fiction  and  legends.  (2)  There  is  only  a 
difference  of  degree  between  the  liberal  and  the  mythical 
Jesus.  Liberalism  accepts  a  considerable  part  of  the  gos- 
pels as  historical,  but  the  mythical  theory  reduces  this  to  a 
minimum.  It  does  not  labor  to  give  a  natural  explanation 
of  the  miracles,  but  relegates  all  of  them  to  the  realm  of 
legend.  As  miracles  are  impossible,  the  fact  that  the  Gos- 
pels contain  so  many  is  proof  enough  of  their  fictitious 
character.  (3)  Objections,  (i)  This  portrait  of  Jesus  is 
the  result  of  philosophical  preconceptions.  It  was  Hegel- 
ian Pantheism  which  dictated  to  Strauss  his  famous  dogma : 
"The  idea  is  averse  to  manifesting  itself  fully  in  one  person- 
ality." ("Die  Idee  liebt  es  nicht,  ihre  ganze  Fuelle  in  ein 
einziges  Exemplar  auszugiessen")  and  to  his  other  dictum, 
Miracles  are  impossible;  (2)  Myths  are  of  slow  growth. 
A  great  amount  of  reflection  lies  back  of  the  origin  of  each 
individual  myth,  as  seen  in  the  history  of  all  nations.  Hence 
the  time  between  Christ's  death  and  the  writing  of  the 
oldest  Gospels  was  too  short  for  the  development  of  myths. 
(3)  The  Gospels  do  not  only  report  incidents  which  glorify 
Christ,  but  also  attribute  to  him  ignorance  as  to  the  time  of 
his  second  coming,  and  the  saying  that  he  could  not  do 
miracles  at  certain  places.  Legends  would  not  have  re- 
ported such  a  saying  of  their  hero.  The  apocryphal  Gos- 
pels show  what  legends  really  are.  (4)  Strauss'  method 
is  dishonest,  as  he  exaggerates  the  most  trivial  variations 
in  the  Gospels  into  proofs  of  their  mythical  character. 
(Christlieb,   Modern  Doubt,  404.)      (5)  The  persecutions 


344  I^ife  of  Christ. 

would  have  sobered  the  enthusiasm  of  the  apostles,  for  no 
one  cares  to  die  for  his  imaginations  and  dreams.  (Christ- 
lieb.  Modern  Doubt,  pp.  380,  383 ;  Ebrard,  Gosp.  Hist.,  p. 
473-) 

IV.     The  Diseased  Jesus. 

545.  Was  Jesus  Mentally  Sound?  (i)  Modern  re- 
search in  general  psychology  has  given  an  impetus  to  the 
psychological  study  of  Jesus.  The  question  is  being  widely 
discussed  by  friend  and  foe,  what  was  it,  precisely,  that 
took  place  in  the  soul  of  Jesus.  (2)  Very  soon  a  number 
of  physicians  and  others  shifted  the  question  to  one  side 
of  psychology,  to  the  side  of  pathology,  and  raised  the  ques- 
tion. Was  Jesus  mentally  sound  or  not.  Representatives  of 
negative  criticism  have  taken  advantage  of  the  situation  and 
are  ascribing  all  manner  of  mental  defects  and  diseases  to 
Jesus,  such  as  general  insanity,  epilepsy,  ecstasy  (concen- 
tration of  attention  on  one  point),  visionary  enthusiasm, 
etc.  (3)  Alleged  Evidence:  (a)  inherited  tendencies.  The 
Baptist,  a  relative  of  Jesus  (Lu.  1:36)  was  supposed  to 
be  possessed  by  a  demon  (Matt.  11:18;  Lu.  9:33);  (b) 
Jesus'  friends  said  of  him,  "he  is  insane"  (Mk.  3)  ;  (c)  his 
enemies  charged  him  with  having  the  devil,  not  only  a 
demon,  within  him.  In  their  language  this  meant  that  he 
was  mad;  (d)  he  lived  in  the  atmosphere  of  Messianic 
hopes  and  insurrections,  and  by  way  of  suggestion  his  mind 
became  unbalanced;  (e)  his  highly  exaggerated  self-con- 
sciousness, bordering  on  mania,  his  frenzy  (cleansing  of  the 
temple),  his  unreasonable  fear  (Jno.  7:  16-20;  Gethsemane) 
his  quarrelsomeness  (in  his  controversies  with  the  rulers) 
— all  point  to  mental  derangement. 

546.  Refutation,  (i)  These  defamers  of  Jesus  lack 
the  means  of  personal  observation  and  diagnosis  which  are 
absolutely  essential  to  decide  such  a  momentous  question 
as  the  Lord's  sanity.  We  know  only  the  Lord's  soul-life, 
but  knowledge  of  his  bodily  life  would  be  essential  to 
prove   their   slanders.      (2)    All  his  assertions,   fears  and 


Life  of  Christ.  345 

promises  were  fulfilled,  and  this  shows  that  they  were  not 
hallucinations.  (Jno,  5:16,  18;  7:25).  (3)  The  Lord's 
self-possession,  his  mental  clear-sightedness,  his  sharp  dia- 
lectics prove  conclusively  his  mental  health.  (4)  If  health 
is  the  harmonious  co-operation  of  all  the  functions  of  body, 
mind,  soul  and  will,  then  Jesus  was  the  healthiest  person 
that  ever  trod  the  earth  (see  "The  Character  of  Jesus"), 
(5)  The  strongest  proof  of  Jesus'  health,  is,  however,  the 
Lord's  great  work  and  his  enduring  influence.  His  is  not 
the  work  of  a  mentally  diseased  man !  (6)  The  opponents 
of  great  men  were  always  ready  to  consider  them  insane 
because  they  could  not  or  would  not  understand  them. 
Goethe,  in  his  "Faust"  says,  "We  are  accustomed  to  make 
light  of  what  we  do  not  understand."  Socrates  was  con- 
sidered half  insane.  In  1640,  the  Jesuits  wrote  a  book 
proving  to  their  own  satisfaction  that  Luther  was  insane. 
Goethe  in  his  younger  years  was  considered  mentally  un- 
sound. Bismarck  was  commonly  called  "der  tolle  B."  (the 
mad  B.),  and  on  Jime  11,  1866,  the  Vienna  Medical  Journal 
tried  to  prove  that  a  man  with  such  gigantic  plans  as  Bis- 
marck could  not  be  mentally  sound.  When  Ex-President 
Roosevelt,  in  1908,  sent  one  message  after  the  other  to  the 
U.  S.  Congress  urging  reforms,  several  physicians,  in  all 
seriousness,  diagnosed  his  malady  as  "paranoia  reforma- 
toria"  (reformatory  insanity). 

V.     The  Antiquated  Jesus. 

547.  (i)  Many  socialists,  Haeckel  in  his  "World  Rid- 
dles," Pfleiderer,  Ed.  von  Hartmann,  the  philosopher,  Fred 
Nietzsche  (the  "superman"  with  the  burning  hate  of  Christ 
bordering  on  insanity  and  blasphemy)  maintain  that  the 
message  of  Jesus  may  have  contained  some  useful  ele- 
ments for  his  own  times ;  but  the  culture,  civilization, 
science  and  art  of  the  modern  world  had  superseded  it  com- 
pletely. Christianity  is  not  the  last  word  on  religion,  it  is 
only  one  step  toward  a  higher  religion.     A  person  of  the 


34^  Life  of  Christ. 

past  cannot  be  the  absolute  guide  for  the  present  or  the 
future.  (2)  Answer:  (a)  If  the  supreme  law  of  action 
is  arrogant  self-assertion  and  not  love,  then  Christian 
ethics  may  be  considered  antiquated  and  the  morality  of  the 
"superman,"  which  in  its  essence  is  rude  or  refined  self- 
ishness, may  be  preferable.  But  who,  knowing  history, 
present  conditions,  and  the  lives  of  the  representatives  of 
this  idea,  grants  the  premises?  (b)  Present  conditions  in 
the  world  do  not  exhibit  all  the  great  possibilities  latent  in 
Christ's  teaching  and  example.  The  kingdom  of  God  has' 
indeed  come  with  power,  but  by  no  means  with  all  its 
powers.  Attacks  like  these,  however,  should  arouse  the 
church  to  insist  on  the  realization  of  the  entire  Gospel  in 
individual  life,  in  society,  in  church  and  state. 

VI.     The  Buddhistic  Jesus. 

548.  (i)  The  religio-historical  method  has  raised  the 
question  whether  some  of  the  essential  features  of  Chris- 
tianity had  not  been  derived  from  Buddhism.  (2)  Proofs. 
The  miraculous  conception  of  Jesus  resembles  the  story  of 
Buddha's  birth ;  modern  theosophy  and  Schopenhauer's  pes- 
simistic philosophy  see  in  Jesus  not  a  personality  but  a 
personification  of  the  negation  of  the  will  to  live;  Richard 
Wagner,  in  his  "Parsifal,"  sees  the  essence  of  Christ's 
teaching  as  a  longing  for  salvation  from  suffering  by  means 
of  sympathy  and  love.  A  certain  Notovitsch  declared  a 
few  years  ago  that  he  had  found  in  a  Buddhist  monastery 
a  history  of  Jesus  which  showed  that  Jesus  had  spent  sev- 
eral years  in  that  place  during  the  "18  years  of  silence." 
This  report  was,  however,  proved  to  be  a  falsification.  (3) 
Answer:  (a)  Whatever  in  Christ's  teaching  resembles 
Buddhism  has  not  been  derived  from  it,  but  is  a  common 
possession  of  all  wise  men;  (b)  Karl  von  Hase,  in  his  book 
"N.  T.  Parallels  to  Buddhistic  Sources,"  comes  to  this  con- 
clusion :  "It  is  incredible  that  the  Christianity  of  the  first 
century  admitted  Buddhistic  legends  into  the  Gospel."     (c) 


Life  of  Christ.  347 

There  is  a  great  difference  between  the  pessimism  of  Jesus 
and  that  of  Buddha.  Jesus  considered  sin  the  deepest  mis- 
fortune, but  with  Buddha  it  is  suffering.  Even  death  brings 
no  rest,  for  new  suffering  may  follow  it ;  only  nirvana  (ex- 
tinction of  desire  by  returning  into  the  all-pantheism)  se- 
cures happiness.  Jesus  destroys  sin  and  grants  eternal  life, 
(d)  Asceticism  is  found  in  both;  but  Buddhism  insists  on 
the  extinction  of  the  desire  for  pleasure,  because  this  would 
remove  the  opportunity  for  disappointment ;  while  Jesus  en- 
courages the  desire  for  true  pleasure  (friendship,  nature, 
sociability).  Jesus  suffered  and  died,  not  because  he  con- 
sidered it  a  good  thing  in  itself,  but  because  it  was  an  es- 
sential part  of  his  mission  of  redeeming  the  world. 

VII.     The  Jesus  of  the  Socialists. 

549.  (i)  The  Socialists  number  about  ten  million  voters 
in  Europe  and  America.  In  all  their  platforms  religion  is  de- 
clared to  be  a  "private  affair  of  the  individual,"  but  in  prac- 
tice almost  all  of  them  are  outside  of  the  church.  (2) 
Attitude  toward  Jesus.  The  obvious  fact  that  love  was  the 
ruling  motive  of  Christ's  life,  has  led  many  Socialists  to 
the  conclusion  that  Jesus'  life-work  was  simply  social  re- 
generation. This  one-sided  view  has  induced  most  of  the 
leaders  of  socialism  to  denounce  the  church  as  the  great 
falsifier  of  the  true  Gospel,  while  expressing  deep  reverence 
for  Jesus.  (3)  A  few  years  ago.  Dr.  Rade  sent  a  circular 
letter  to  thousands  of  Socialists  asking  their  opinion  of 
Jesus.  The  answers  are  highly  interesting  and  instructive 
to  Christian  workers.  Here  are  a  few  samples:  (a)  Jesus 
was  the  great  tribune  who  fought  the  people's  battles ;  he 
was  himself  a  laborer  (Mk.  6:  31).  (b)  The  Christ  of  the 
Church  is  not  the  Jesus  of  history;  (c)  Jesus  was  a  social 
revolutionist.  If  he  were  teaching  to-day,  the  plutocrats 
would  never  allow  him  to  be  outside  of  prison;  (d)  Jesus 
was  a  very  good  and  noble  man,  the  greatest  social  reform- 
er; (e)  Jesus  was  a  righteous  man.     Conditions  which  to- 


348  IJfe  of  Christ. 

day  Christians  can  contemplate,  without  being  moved  to 
protest  and  action — abject  poverty  and  great  wealth  on  the 
same  street — aroused  Jesus  to  most  vehement  denuncia- 
tions; (f)  Kautsky,  one  of  the  scientific  writers  on  social- 
ism, says:  The  history  of  apostolic  Christianity  is  the  his- 
tory of  ancient  socialism.  It  is  plain  that  the  first  Chris- 
tians were  communists  (Acts  2).  When  the  church  be- 
came united  with  the  state,  she  suppressed  the  principles  of 
the  Gospel.  (4)  Answer:  (a)  The  socialistic  portrait  of 
Christ  is  not  wrong  but  one-sided.  The  kingdom  was 
Christ's  ideal  and  this  includes  the  spiritual  salvation  of  the 
individual  and  through  it  the  regeneration  of  society,  (b) 
Socialism  overlooks  the  great  work  of  charity  and  the  in- 
direct but  powerful  influence  exerted  by  the  Church  through 
her  members  on  every  phase  of  public  and  private  life; 
(c)  more  and  more  prophets  are  heard  in  the  pulpits  of  the 
church  and  her  councils,  pleading  for  the  larger  righteous- 
ness of  economic  justice  and  social  equity,  while  not  over- 
looking the  minor  moralities  of  individual  life. 

VIII.     Jesus  Only  a  Myth. 

550.  This  is  the  limit.  Not  only  are  there  mythical  ele- 
ments in  the  Gospels,  but  the  whole  Jesus  is  an  entirely 
mythical  figure.  But  how?  (i)  Bruno  Bauer  (not  to  be 
confused  with  F.  C.  Baur,  the  founder  of  the  Tuebingen 
School),  believes  that  the  unknown  man  who  wrote  the 
original  Gospel  of  Mark,  about  120  A.  D.,  a  highly  edu- 
cated man,  gathered  together  and  summed  up  all  the  ele- 
ments of  religion,  education  and  culture  of  his  time,  and 
constructed  a  fictitious  hero  whom  he  named  Jesus;  (2) 
Dr.  Anderson,  in  his  "The  Collapse  of  Liberal  Christian- 
ity" (Hibbard  Journal,  Jan.,  1910).  offers  this  version: 
Among  the  Greeks  were  various  cults  and  clubs,  each  of 
which  had  a  patron-god.  One  of  these  clubs  selected  a  god 
named  "Christos,"  long  before  our  era.  This  club  greatly 
increased  in  numbers  and  influence.     In  some  unexplained 


Life  of  Christ.  349 

way  the  religious  belief  of  this  "Christos  Club"  was  loosely 
attached  to  a  man  named  Jesus,  living  in  the  first  century. 
But  he  and  the  god  "Christos"  were  surely  not  identical. 
Gradually  attributes  of  the  god  "Christos"  were  attached  to 
this  Jesus,  who  probably  was  a  beloved  member  of  the 
club.  This  was  done  perhaps  long  after  his  death.  Hence 
Christianity  was  not  founded  by  a  single  historical  person, 
but  by  many  persons  and  causes.  It  was  the  synthesis  of 
the  factors  that  controlled  the  historical  development  of  the 
time;  the  issue  of  the  advance  of  the  world,  especially  in 
Judea,  Greece  and  Rome,  for  many  centuries  before  the 
Christian  era.  The  story  of  the  Gospel  is  a  nature-myth. 
The  dying  and  rising  of  God  expresses  a  deep  truth,  namely, 
the  implanting,  the  suffering  and  the  rising  of  the  truth  in 
man's  soul.  (3)  Jensen  holds  that  the  "Jesus-legend"  is 
simply  the  old  Babylonian  Xisuthros  myth  contained  in  the 
Gilgalmesh  epic,  in  a  Semitic  garb.  (4)  Kalthoff  believes 
that  Jesus  was  not  an  individual  but  the  personification  of 
the  social-religious  movement  among  the  masses  of  the 
first  and  second  centuries.  If  there  was  such  a  Jesus,  he  was 
merely  a  leader  of  the  masses.  (5)  As  evidence  for  these 
preposterous  notions  the  following  is  adduced:  (a)  We 
have  no  contemporaneous,  disinterested  and  impartial  rec- 
ords concerning  the  historical  Jesus.  Only  worshippers  of 
him  wrote  books,  but  centuries  afterward;  (b)  Josephus' 
words  about  Jesus  are  a  falsification;  and  Tacitus,  Sue- 
tonius and  Pliny  had  no  first-hand  sources ;  (c)  for  the  N. 
T.  teaching  we  find  ample  parallels  in  Greek  and  Roman 
philosophy  and  religion  of  the  2nd  century  (Seneca,  Epictet; 
Stoicism). 

551.  Answer:  (i)  The  whole  hypothesis  is  what  it  as- 
serts Jesus  to  be — a  myth ;  a  preposterous,  fanciful,  ridicu- 
lous idea  without  a  scintilla  of  real  evidence.  Well-de- 
served satire  has  been  heaped  upon  it  by  humorists  who  have 
"proved"  that  Napoleon,  Bismarck  and  Roosevelt  were 
purely  mythical  figures.  (2)  It  was  natural  that  his  con- 
temporaries did  not  write  much  about  Jesus.     It  is  funda- 


35°  Life  of  Christ. 

mentally  wrong  to  judge  a  matter  from  the  back,  and  sup- 
pose that  the  great  power  of  Christianity  must  have  been 
noticed  in  Roman  literature.  The  Jews  were  only  one  of 
the  many  little  subjected  nations;  many  messiahs  arose  at 
that  period,  and  the  world  saw  many  new  religious  cults 
arise.  Only  later  history  saw  in  the  birth  of  Jesus  a  world- 
historical  act.  (3)  Many  of  the  best  biographies  were  writ- 
ten by  the  friends  of  the  men  described  (Socrates  by  Plato 
and  Xenophon). 

552.  Reference  Literature.  Jordan,  Jesus  und  die  Mod.  Jesus- 
bilder;  Wcinel,  Jesus  im  ig.  Jahrh ;  Schaff,  Person  of  C,  p.  131; 
"Back  to  C,"  in  Hast.  D.  C,  I,  164;  Harnack,  Wesen  des  Christen- 
tums;  (Egl.)  Gruetzenmacher,  1st  das  liberale  Christusbild  mod- 
ern? Schnehen,  Der  Mod.  Jesuscultus;  Arnold,  Was  uns  Jesus 
heute  ist;  Bousset,  "Jesus"  (English);  Myth,  in  Hast.  D.  C,  II, 
214 ;  Eysinger,  Indische  Einfluesse  auf  evang.  Erzaehlungen ;  Seydel, 
Evang.  und  Buddhasage ;  New  Testament  Parallels  in  Buddhistic 
Literature,  Prof.  Karl  Von  Hase;  Notovitch,  N.,  "Unknown  Life  of 
Jesus  Christ  from  Buddhistic  Records";  Dods,  "Mohammed,  Budd- 
ha, and  Christ";  Christ  and  Evol.  in  Hast.  D.  C,  I,  552;  Bierbrower, 
Socialism  of  Christ;  C.  and  Soc.  in  Enc.  of  Soc.  Reform,  p.  196; 
"Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,"  F.  G.  Peabody;  Rauschen- 
busch,  Christianity  and  Social  Crisis ;  Mathews,  Soc.  Tea.  of  Jes. ; 
Stoecker,  Christlich-Social;  Rade,  Gedankenwelt  unserer  Arbeiter; 
Nauman,  Jesus  als  Volksmann ;  Losinsky,  Waren  die  ersten  Chris- 
ten wirklich  Socialisten?  and.  War  Jesus  Gott,  Mensch  oder  Ueber- 
mensch ;  Classen,  Christus  heute  als  unser  Zeitgenosse;  Tolstoi, 
Leo,  Count,  "Christ's  Christianity" ;  Werner,  Psych.  Gesundheit  J. ; 
Jordan,  J.  im  Kampf  der  Parteien  der  Gegenwart;  Holtzman,  War 
Jesus  Ekstatiker?  W.  James,  Rel.  Experience;  De  Loosten,  J.  vom 
Standpunkt  des  Psychiaters. — Gunkel,  Zum  religionsgeschichtlichen 
Verstaendniss  des  N.  T.  Jeremias,  Babylonisches  im  N.  T,  Loof's 
Anti-Haeckel  (against  Haeckel's  World  Riddles)  ;  Nietzsche,  Der 
Anti-Christ;  Ed.  von  Hartman,  Das  Christenthum  des  N.  T. — 
Robertson,  Pagan  Christs ;  Kalthoff,  Entstehung  des  Christentums ; 
and  Das  Christusproblem ;  Drews,  Die  Christus-Mythe ;  Smith,  The 
Pre-Christian  Jesus;  Jensen,  Das  Gilgamesch  Epos  in  der  Welt- 
literatur. 

553.  Review  Questions.  The  Character  of  Jesus,  (i)  State 
what  character  is,  how  it  manifests  itself;  the  conjectures  as  to  our 
Lord's  outward  appearance;  some  old  descriptions  of  him;  the 
four  principal  mental  qualities.     (2)  Which  were  the  deepest  feel- 


Life  of  Christ.  351 

ings  in  Christ's  soul,  and  how  did  each  one  express  itself?  Show 
that  Christ  had  humor.  (3)  Enumerate  and  explain  the  outgoing 
and  inholding  manifestations  of  Christ's  will  power.  (4)  Describe 
the  unity  of  his  character.  Which  of  the  four  temperaments  did  he 
have?  The  Work  of  Jesus,  (i)  Did  Jesus  have  a  definite  plan? 
What  was  it?  When  did  he  become  conscious  of  it?  (2)  Describe 
Jesus  the  preacher,  his  subjects,  method,  aim,  audience.  In  what 
sense  was  he  a  teacher  and  a  controversialist?  (3)  In  what  re- 
spects is  Jesus  our  example?  (4)  State  definition,  name,  number, 
classification  of  Christ's  miracles.  Give  the  number  and  nature  of 
the  demoniac  possessions.  In  what  sense  may  Christ's  death  be 
classified  under  his  works?  The  Three  Problems,  (i)  Which  are 
the  three  chief  problems  in  our  Lord's  life?  State  (a)  the  meaning, 
(b)  the  mode,  and  (c)  the  purpose  of  the  incarnation  and  answer 
the  objections  raised.  (2)  Who  did  Jesus  believe  himself  to  be? 
In  what  sense  was  he  the  Son  of  man,  and  the  Son  of  God?  (3) 
In  what  manner  did  Christ  rise  from  the  dead?  State  and  refute 
some  of  the  non-miraculous  conceptions  of  the  resurrection.  Christ's 
Influence.  In  what  ways  did  Christ  influence  the  world?  Non- 
Biblical  Portraits  of  Jesus.  State  and  refute  each  of  those  dis- 
cussed in  chapter  54. 

CHAPTER  55. 

General  Review  of  the  Entire  Life  of  Christ. 

Prepare,  mentally  or  in  writing,  brief  but  very  accurate  answers 
to  the  following  questions: 

/.  The  World  in  Which  Jesus  Lived,  (i)  Explain  name  of 
Palestine,  state  dimensions,  describe  important  waters  and  moun- 
tains, give  physical  and  political  divisions.  (2)  Give  an  outline  of 
Jewish  history  from  the  Babylonian  captivity  to  Christ,  including 
the  genealogy  of  the  Herodian  house ;  explain  what  is  meant  by 
"the  dispersion."  (3)  State  names  and  time  of  reign  of  the  two 
Roman  emperors  during  the  period  of  Christ's  life.  (4)  Describe 
the  3  parties  among  the  Jews;  also  explain  the  names,  Herodians, 
Zealots,  Scribes,  Sanhedrin.  (5)  State  origin,  arrangement  of 
building  and  officers  of  the  synagogue.  (6)  Describe  the  Jewish 
church  year;  the  seven  feasts;  time  and  meaning  of  each,  and 
method  of  celebration.  (7)  Give  the  names  of  the  leading  Jewish 
teachers  of  this  period,  and  the  three  groups  of  Jewish  literature. 

(8)  Give  a  sketch  of  the  schools  of  Greek  philosophy  in  this  period. 

(9)  What  was  the  social  and  moral  condition  of  the  world  in  this 
period;   cite   facts  and  writers  to  confirm  your  statements.      (10) 


352  Life  of  Christ. 

What  are  the  pagan,  Jewish  and  Christian  sources  of  information 
for  the  life  of  Christ?  (ii)  When  was  Christ  born?  When  bap- 
tized? When  did  he  die,  rise  and  ascend  to  heaven?  How  do  we 
arrive  at  these  dates? 

//.  General  Outlines  of  the  Life  of  Christ,  (i)  State  the  three 
great  periods  of  Christ's  existence;  (2)  the  length  of  his  life  upon 
earth;  (3)  the  principal  and  subdivisions  of  his  life,  with  dates; 
(4)  the  events  of  each  day  from  Friday  before  Palm  Sunday  to 
Easter  Day;  (5)  give  an  accurate  analysis  of  the  six  trials  of  Jesus, 
and  (6)  of  the  ten  appearances  of  the  Risen  Christ. 

///.  The  Home  Towns  and  Home  Life  of  Jesus,  (i)  Name  and 
locate  the  home  towns  of  Christ  and  other  places  where  he  spent 
considerable  time;  (2)  locate  on  the  map  the  places  in  and  around 
Jerusalem  which  our  Lord  visited  during  the  passion  week;  (3) 
what  foreign  countries  did  Christ  visit,  and  when?  (8)  How  did 
Jesus  make  his  living,  before  and  during  his  ministry?  (5)  Name 
the  brothers  of  Jesus  and  state  the  three  theories  as  to  their  rela- 
tion to  Jesus. 

IV.  The  Lord's  Friends  and  Co-workers,  (i)  What  figures  are 
found  in  the  N.  T.  giving  the  number  of  Jesus'  followers  during 
his  life-time?  (Jno.  i;  Lu.  6:13;  Lu.  10:  i;  Acts  1:15;  i  Cor. 
15:6.)  (2)  Give  the  names  of  the  Twelve;  time  and  place  of  their 
appointment;  blood  relationship  of  some  to  Christ  and  among 
themselves.  (3)  Give  name,  relationship,  and  social  station  of  some 
of  his  female  disciples.  (4)  Point  out  the  three  stages  of  the  fel- 
lowship of  the  apostles  with  Christ.  (5)  Trace  the  development  of 
the  apostles'  conception  of  the  person  of  Christ. 

V.  The  Thirteen  Principal  Journeys,  (i)  From  Nazareth  to  his 
baptism  and  return  to  Capernaum.  Jan. -March,  A.  D.  27.  (2) 
From  Capernaum  to  first  passover  (Cleansing  of  temple),  Samaria, 
Nazareth,  Capernaum,  April-Dec.  A.  D.  27.  (3)  First  Preaching 
Tour  in  Galilee,  Spring,  A.  D.  28.  (4)  From  Capernaum  to  the 
Unnamed  Feast  and  return,  March-May,  A.  D.  28.  (5)  Second 
Preaching  Tour,  Summer,  A.  D.  28.  (6)  Capernaum-Gadara  and 
return,  Autumn,  A.  D.  28.  (7)  Third  Preaching  Tour,  Nazareth, 
Crisis  at  Capernaum,  Spring,  A.  D.  29.  (8)  First  Northern  Journey 
to  Tyre,  Summer,  A.  D.  29.  (9)  Second  Northern  Journey  to 
Csesarea  Philippi.  (11)  To  the  Feast  of  Dedication,  Dec,  A.  D.  29. 
(12)  To  the  Raising  of  Lazarus,  Feb.,  A.  D.  30.  (13)  From  Eph- 
raim  to  the  Triumphal  Entry,  April,  A.  D.  30. 

VI.  Important  Questions.  Why  was  Jesus,  (i)  sent  into  the 
world,  (2)  born  of  a  virgin,  (3)  circumcised,  (4)  presented  in  the 
temple,  (5)  taken  to  the  passover  when  just  12  years  of  age,  (6) 
baptized,  (7)  tempted? 


Life  of  Christ.  353 

VII.  Locate  by  periods  or  context  the  following  events:  (i)  the 
three  adorations;  (2)  the  five  hymns  recorded  by  Luke;  (3)  the 
best  known  prayers  of  Jesus;  (4)  the  three  raisings  of  dead  per- 
sons in  chronological  order;  (5)  some  of  the  longest  discourses; 
(6)  the  two  cleansings  of  the  temple;  (7)  the  two  rejections  at 
Nazareth;  (8)  the  two  anointings;  (9)  the  two  miraculous  feed- 
ings; (10)  some  of  the  figurative  allusions  to  his  death;  (11)  the 
three  chief  plain  foretellings  of  his  death  and  resurrection;  (12) 
the  different  visits  to  the  family  at  Bethany;  (13)  the  two  miracles 
at  Cana. 

VIII.  Name  events  which  occurred  (i)  at  Bethlehem;  (2) 
Nazareth;  (3)  Aenon  near  Salim;  (4)  Bethsaida;  (s)  Machaerus; 
(6)  near  the  treasury  in  the  temple;  (7)  at  Ephraim;  (8)  at 
Jericho. 


OTHER  WORKS  OF  THE 

SAME   AUTHOR 

1. 

Life  of  John  Calvin. 

2. 

The  New  Testament  Portrait 

of  Jesus. 

3. 

The  Old  Testament  in  Its  Re- 

lation to  Social  Reform. 

4. 

The   Dialectical    Method    of 

Socrates. 

5. 

Sound   Exegesis  the  Basis   of 

Effective  Preaching. 

6. 

Spirit  and  Method  of  Exegesis. 

7. 

The  Inspirational  Value  of  the 

Study  of  Church  History. 

8. 

Shorter  Heidelberg  Catechism. 

9. 

Life  of  Philip  Melancthon. 

10. 

Gustav  Adolf,  King  of  Sweden. 

Date  Due 

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The  life  of  Christ; 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00013  1062 


